


the Future is in the Past

by Rangerfan58



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Assumed Character Death, Cor is now at final battle, Non-con is more Dub-con due to circumstances, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Time Travel, assumed chemical sterilization, changing things, slow start but hopefully will pick up as the story continues, watched playthrough of normal game before Royal Addition, which means Cor isn't at final battle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-16 02:41:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 36
Words: 68,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21500506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerfan58/pseuds/Rangerfan58
Summary: title is majority of summary but there's more. The group has gone into the past to change the future but only the four remember anything. They know they can't change everything but they're going to do their best at changing what they can. please tell me if my rating needs to change. and I'm posting here before posting at fanfiction.net since the story isn't complete yet
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What you recognize I don't own. Okay so I haven't actually played the game and only watched a play through twice so I am probably going to get things wrong in regards to personality. This is also basically a time travel story where Noctis did his duty and died to bring back the light, however as a reward he was allowed to go back to the past and change things such as his required death, now then he couldn't change everything, his father's death and the loss of Insomnia would still have to happen but the casualties wouldn't have to be so high. Ardyn is also still going to be a bit of a problem once he enters the picture, but that's much later and the problem is different from the original timeline too. Also all four of them are DANGEROUS, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus more than Noctis due to the ten years of darkness, but Noctis can fight better than when they first start out because in my mind while all four of them got training they still struggled in an actual combat scenario for a bit until they could truly get into sync with one another. Oh and they've gone to about four years before everything went down in the game in the past. As always thoughts are in italics, silent communication will be asterisked

Noctis was floating and dreaming at the same time and a voice in his head in the dream basically asked if he would like to change the past and he had answered yes and was given that opportunity though warned that not everything would be able to be changed, his city would fall, but he could change other things including the need for his death and possibly other deaths as well including Lunafreya's. Now then Noctis thought it all a dream and thought he was still dead but that wasn't actually the case, instead all four of them had suddenly collapsed at different locations, though also fortunately two in each group, Noctis and Prompto collapsed at school while Ignis and Gladiolus collapsed during an afternoon meeting with the council and in front of the king. Now then because no one knew that four people had suddenly mentally gone into the past (it was really the one way for them to be able to do so according to the Astrals) they could be forgiven for the _MISTAKE_ that had been made, because while the group had made it to havens on occasion, they hadn't always been able to, especially the three that actually lived during the ten years of darkness when Havens became fewer and farther between until the only havens were specific towns that had enough light to keep the daemons away, which was basically Lestallum, but Hammerhead was safe enough too. In any situation or case though the four knew better than to shake one another awake and had in fact developed methods of waking each other up without any touching if anyone happened to oversleep for whatever reason. As such as soon as they were touched they went into instant fight mode doing their best to take out whoever had touched them, for those with Ignis and Gladiolus a combination of their instincts and the fact that Ignis and Gladiolus had very uncoordinated punches kept them from being punched while for the two teachers it was the fact that the punches were uncoordinated and also the fact that they had kept their distance slightly and had used nearby poles in the gym, plus everyone was lucky the four of them couldn't access their weapons yet (that was deliberate on the Astrals part so that they could adjust to the fact that they were amongst friends and family) or their would probably have been injuries or casualties as it is Regis had to tell the two who were with him a command that they only obeyed through _years_ of instinct

“Stand down”

The two suddenly stopped, actually looked at their surroundings, looked at each other and then Gladiolus said something that made everyone but Ignis confused

“Iggy, two questions, are you hearing what I'm hearing and are you _seeing_ what I am seeing?”

“Yes...to both...though...”

The two are quiet and then suddenly their eyes get impossibly wide and they stand up way too quickly for the others liking and as one say just two words

“Prompto and Noctis!”

“Iggy, I get Prompto while you get Noct”

“Agreed”

And with that the two are making separate phone calls and Ignis and Gladiolus are told that yes they too were seeing and hearing concern from their _teachers_ , the teachers they hadn't seen since high school and who had basically died only two years after what should have been their original graduation date, it was also agreed that they would all meet up at Noctis' apartment immediately after school. And while they are all stared at for the rest of the day they get by until immediately after the school day ends and they all rush as fast as they could to the apartment that Noctis owns

“Okay, sit rep”

“Okay, I can somehow see even though I've been blind for ten years, and it looks like we're in the past to when king Regis is alive, I'd estimate about three years before the fall of Insomnia which means you two are seniors correct?”

“Juniors actually, we basically skipped senior year remember?”

“Oh yeah, the incident in which it was decided that you two were no longer safe for public schooling and so you took the tests for graduation and passed during the summer that would have been right before your senior year”

“Which means about four years before everything happened, now then, weapons and magic?”

The four quickly find out that they temporarily didn't have any access to weapons or magic

“Right, hand-to-hand it is for now then except when we get our hands on physical weapons in the training room, Specs I need to know right here, right now, how distracted are you with your vision?”

“Normal every day life should return to normal soon, but fighting...that will most likely be a problem”

“Right, if there's people in the training room we'll take things easy for you and make up some sort of excuse and then when we're in private you can blindfold yourself and gradually work your way back to normal fighting with your vision, we have the time so use it, you never know when fighting with your sight once more will be crucial, the rest of us will have to hide our skills too all things considered”

“Hey Noct, what about your dad, you know the king?”

“What about him Prom?”

“Should he know about us and the truth?”

That gave everyone pause because they knew that if they told the king then Cor and Gladio's dad would also most likely have to be told the truth as well and that might make the three of them overprotective and they thought about it but ultimately the other three naturally deferred to Noctis

“We'll wait a few days for them to calm down about today and watch them as well to see how they're handling things and then meet up again and make a decision at that time as well”

“How long is a few days?”

“A week, we'll give them a week”

“Okay then, in the meantime let's get training to see just how much work we have to do to hide our actual skills, especially Ignis”  


And so they arrive in the training room and find it definitely occupied and so they do _very_ basic warm-ups that they could have done in their sleep and it's quickly discovered that Ignis would have to work hard on regaining his ability to fight with his vision returned once more while the rest of them including Ignis would have to hide a _lot_ of their skills that they had learned in the time they had fought to regain their home against Niflheim and for three of them ten years of darkness and daemons being fought on a regular basis, daemons that were _strong_ and sometimes tricky, Ignis especially had learned and developed some tricks to help him fight the enemy blind. As for the observation part of the mission they ultimately had to extend it by a week thanks to a weak attack by their enemies (who all four _really_ wanted to fight but couldn't because that would have been way too suspicious, especially with Noctis and Prompto still in school) and the aftermath of that, but finally the four met and it was agreed that Regis, Cor, and Clarus would be told the full truth about that day that they had woken up to a friendly touch with fighting instincts and the comment that Gladio make that was still stumping the three of them regarding Ignis seeing them, with the emphasis on the word seeing being heard

“So...who's going to request the meeting, Ignis or Noctis?”

“Normally it would be me, but I believe that Noctis and the king had dinner plans arranged already a month ago”

“That's right, he wanted me to know about some upcoming security changes personally and how that might affect school, work and my living at the apartment”

“Wait...is _that_ what that dinner was about last time around?”

“Yes, it's also why I was in such a bad mood for a bit Prompto, sorry you took the brunt of it, Iggy here was stuck at the citadel with my dad for a month doing what Cor normally does because of a mission he's being sent on”

“Why wasn't I aware of anything?”

“Not sure Gladio, you should have been informed as my shield but as far as I know you never were”

“I wasn't”

“Right, now you know, even if you are never actually told like before”

“Good, so...how exactly are we going to all be there?”

“Easy, I tell dad that I want my advisor, shield and friend with me and I won't take a no and that I also want Cor and Gladio's dad there as well no exceptions with those two either”

“Iggy and I are easy to accept but Prompto...”

“I know he isn't officially a member, but dad has mentioned recently about wanting to talk to Prompto about what his duties will be once he's legally old enough to be a Crownsguard member”

“Okay that works”

And so a few days later the group was at dinner with family and their commanding officer and the one who gave them the task of finding the tombs for Noctis to gain the Royal Arms and initially dinner is silent and slightly awkward but fortunately not completely and then the king speaks up


	2. Chapter 2

“Noctis, would you like to tell me why everyone here has to be involved in this dinner? I thought you understood that I wanted to talk to you about some things privately tonight”

“Normally I would agree dad but...there's something the three of you need to know, things that are actually matters of national security”

With that the three who didn't know what tonight was actually about actually paused in their eating and then put their eating utensils down and pushed their food aside

“Very well, we'll listen”

“No, finish dinner first, it's...it's vital that you finish, if you don't then...”

“Prom, calm down, it's not like that here, you're in the Citadel, it's not night...okay it's night but the Wall is up and being attacked isn't likely”

The three non time travelers were _very_ confused about what Gladiolus was telling Prompto, and to a degree even Noctis was a little confused since he had missed the ten years of eternal darkness and hadn't been there when the attack happened a year into the darkness that gave Prompto that specific case of PTSD, but he remembered nights without shelter well enough during the time the group traveled together before his ten year period in the crystal to know that Prompto was worried about needing to fight before a meal was finished and so the three finished eating and then gave the four of them a glare that basically said that they had best start giving them answers

“Okay...so how do we go about this guys? I start and then you pick up where I am forced to leave off?”

“Um...no I think we should all take turns explaining things, you can start though and when I give you _that_ signal I pick up and then when Gladio or Prompto gives me the signal they can pick up and then when...when you can't do any explaining the three of us will completely take over until you're able to join in again and then you'll take over once we're the ones who can't do any explaining since we...well you know”

And so that's what the four of them do for over an hour, they tell the three people that needed to know about everything what had happened to them in the future, from the journey to Altissia being planned so that Noctis could marry Lunafreya in a false bid by the empire to end the war, to finding out about the attack and returning home to find soldiers in their home, the call to Cor confirming Regis's death, the search for the Royal Arms, their hunts to gain Gil to get needed supplies, the fights against daemons and against Titan, Ramuh, and Leviathan, the ravaging of Altissia and the events there that led to Ignis being blind for ten years, (when Noctis found out how exactly Ignis went blind he glared at him so hard Ignis was lucky glares couldn't kill people) and Lunafreya's death, Noctis going into the crystal for ten years, the ten years the three spent fighting daemons together and separately, explaining that Ignis fought better blind than not blind by now, Noctis returning after ten years, the fight against Ardyn and the fact that Noctis was given the chance to change some of what had happened but not everything, and the things that couldn't be changed was the fact that Insomnia was going to fall and Regis would die. Once they were done speaking they waited for Regis and the other two to dismiss them and talk about things in private and decide if they were to be believed or not but that didn't happen instead Cor and Clarus decided to automatically defer to Regis just like they saw Gladio, Ignis and Prompto defer to Noctis and then finally the king speaks up

“You four are to wait in Noctis's assigned room here while Cor, Clarus and I discuss something regarding what you have told me”

“Yes sir”

The four bow and obey the king leaving thinking that the three were discussing if they should believe the story or not, not knowing that the three left in the room were not discussing whether or not to believe the story that they had just been told by the four who had just left, but what they could do not only to help with any obvious PTSD issues, but getting Ignis into specialized training so that he could get used to fighting with his vision again and yet keep up his skills fighting blind, and also how they could make sure more people survived the treachery the day Insomnia fell in the future, and that included figuring out how to deal with the treacherous Kingsglaives. The four who came back from the future didn't know it yet but they had some distinct tells when talking about the future that let the three being told the story know that this wasn't just a story they made up or something that they had dreamed that was a bad nightmare, what the four had gone through had been real and was to be taken seriously

“So...who's going to call them back in and let them know what we've actually discussed instead of what they _thought_ we discussed”

“Good point, I...probably should have said something to let them know”

“Maybe not, it's good that you didn't say anything actually, that might have...it could get them either cocky or let their guard down at the wrong time and they'll slip and say something they shouldn't like they did on the first day...though you can't really fault them for that instance”

“True, and we are _never_ waking them up again by touch, they have instincts that are too ingrained and extremely dangerous to do so”

“Maybe ask them their tricks for the future?”

“Good idea, now then let's talk to them about everything, and for Ignis...they might actually already be working on his ability to fight with or without his vision now that I think about it”

“True, but we have...other means of training him that will be faster and probably safer too”

“Safer for who?”

“All of them, they might slip one day and train in what they think is private but it actually isn't, and there are going to be questions if Ignis is seen fighting blindfolded for no real reason, plus...I think he's distracted with his vision still, not enough to fully affect his every day life but battles are definitely going to be a problem for a bit, plus it will let them use the skills they _actually_ have instead of having to hide what they know”

“Right, they know how to fight as a cohesive unit, best keep that going just in case”

“Let's go then”

And so the three head to Noct's room and with a single hand the king had the four of them staying sitting and relaxing but the three could tell that they were still tense regarding what they were about to be told

“Okay, first thing you four should know is that we believe your story, we did since early on in your telling us what was going on, the second is that we're going to figure out a way to not only help you four with obvious PTSD but also with training, Ignis is going to be getting the most intensive training since he not only needs to relearn how to fight with his vision but also keep up his ability to fight blind, but all four of you will be getting training to keep up your actual skills and level of coordination”

The four look at them shocked that the three believed their story and then simply nod and then Cor speaks up

“Now then, there is something I would like to know, a signal was mentioned for switching people but I for one never saw any signal and I was looking for it”

Ignis is the one who speaks up after all four of them shake their heads

“You wouldn't have, you see we used various codes during the conversation, codes that you wouldn't recognize because they were developed...after Insomnia was lost”

“I won't force you guys to tell me what you used but...if need be can we be taught?”

The four look at each other and then shake their heads no and Noctis is the one to speak up this time

“I'm afraid not, the codes are...complicated for one thing and quite frankly impossible for you to learn for complicated reasons as well”

“Very well”

What Cor, Clarus and Regis didn't know was that the signals the four used were three different signals in one conversation, one signal the four used was a kind of tug on Noct's Armiger that was as if they were doing a mental check to see if they still had access to it and were mentally checking on it's contents twice in a quick succession, the second signal was hand signals that were so subtle that no one would notice because they looked like normal hand movements that were time perfectly (in the field it would be actual hand signals that they had developed in their period of traveling with Noctis and while not used often in the ten years of darkness Gladiolus and Prompto occasionally used used those hand signals then as well) and the final signal had been completely under the table, a light touch of the leg that the foot was closest to and once with Ignis and Prompto a very specific touch signal from Ignis to let Prompto know that he wanted to take over from Gladiolus. Then Regis asked them a very valid question

“If you four are from the future do you have access to the Armiger that Noctis has?”

Noctis shakes his head and replies

“Not at the moment dad, when I was asleep soon after we came back to the past Bahamut came to me in a dream and stated that access was temporarily being blocked for safety reasons, once we're a little more settled in this time we'll have access to it again but for now we need to use the weapons available in the training room”

“I see, how long is temporary?”

Noctis shrugs

“Sorry Specs, no idea”

“Still...how is it we have no actual access but...”

“No clue Gladio, just can”

“Fine, now then...when will this training start?”

“Soon I promise, but first, we three need to figure out a good location”

“Under...”

Suddenly Noctis gasps scaring three people but the other three have wide eyes suddenly and then four people have weapons out from practically nowhere's

“I guess they think we're stable enough?”

“No...it's not that Prompto, it's...it's the crystal, we're not stable enough normally for access to the Armiger once more but the crystal wants us to access the Armiger temporarily for something...I think I'm going to have to meditate to figure that one out”

“Right, still, let's make use of this while we can”

“Good point Iggy”

And so they go to a practice room and get in practice with their actual weapons instead of the borrowed weapons and later that night while Noctis meditated he found out that the main reason they had access to the Armiger was to allow them to not only add a few weapons but also the fact that they needed to make and add potions to the Armiger as well, the crystal basically telling Noct that while the majority of the changes would happen after Insomnia fell there were some things that the group was forgetting that meant being prepared now was for the best. And so that's exactly what they do and then lose the connection once more. Over the next six months after that the group trained and either went to school or attended their duties every day with the three they had told what the future would hold, Ignis scared the three initially with how good he was blindfolded but they quickly and safely got him back into fighting mode with his vision available and he was even scarier than originally and everyone else learned a few new tricks at the same time. Cor, Clarus, Regis and Noctis would also learn the whistle and verbal command codes the three who lived in the years of darkness developed to allow them to still fight together, especially with Ignis being blind and hand signals not being very effective in fights unless super close together and fighting an enemy that let off any natural lighting such as with their weapons or their bodies, while whenever they weren't learning that the three that didn't live through a terrible future (Noctis had found out that shortly after Altissia happened Cor was killed) learned the commands that the _four_ of them developed while in a fight against Niflheim troops

“So...why did you three change the codes?”

“Hunters and Glaives”

“Right...that would do it”

“Wait, what are you three talking about?”

“Um...”

Gladio, Ignis and Prompto look at each other and then with a single nod Ignis takes over

“After Noct went into the crystal we found out that not all of the Glaives betrayed your Majesty, and they also apparently regained their honor by fighting Bahamut according to them, in any case during those ten years just as the three of us hunted daemons so did they, and occasionally we teamed up with each other, as such our own personal codes wouldn't work and as such between the three of us we agreed to go with Hunter and Glaive codes, and the Glaives decided that Hunter codes were the easiest to adapt to and the Hunters didn't want the Glaives to lose everything and as such a combination of their codes was formed and the three of us were taught those codes and used them whenever there was a team up, which was more often than one would think considering we preferred solo outings if it wasn't the three of us together. In any case it actually turned out to be a good thing we changed the codes because while for the most part Niflheim wasn't active and had actually basically fallen once the darkness came there were a few that were still loyal to that empire and tried to take the three of us using the old codes but it never worked because of our deliberate changes”

“So...in regards to the Hunters and Glaives combining their codes, do you know how much arguing was done for that to even be a thing?”

“Oh it was a lot trust me”

“Gladio?”

“I was there for several of the arguments though they didn't notice me, a few of them...nearly got physical but fortunately it never escalated to that point”

“Right, in any case what are _we_ going to use?”

“You mean...come up with a completely new code?”

“Exactly, and then we can revert to our old codes at need maybe”

The four think about it and agree that it was time to come up with new codes

“We'll let you four do that in your own time, in the meantime we need to discuss if we'll be continuing the training or not” 

“We also need to discuss whether or not to pull Noctis and Prompto from school before the incident originally happened”

“Good point Ignis”

While they were all thinking about what to do next without the input of the three training them Prompto absentmindedly decides to pull the guns he currently didn't have access to out of the Armiger to clean them and gave out a startled yelp when they came to his hands which made everyone look up and see the guns that hadn't been seen in six months


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay...I think we have our weapons again, Noctis?”

Noctis closes his eyes for a few moments and then opens them up again

“They said that it's safe for us to have access to the Armiger again, apparently what was needed was not only time to train but also time to get back into our routines and deal with our instincts safely”

“Right, at least we can practice again, still...we have other things we need to discuss”

And so everyone takes a break from intense training for two days while they discuss everything that needed to be discussed and it was decided that it was for the best that not only did they continue the training but also keep Prompto and Noctis in school until they were pulled out originally

“So decisions have been made then”

“Yes sir”

“Explain them then so that we make make our own plans around them”

And so that's exactly what the four do

“Still, for you two to decide to still go through that experience...”

“It's needed dad, we didn't like it when we went through it at first but...I realized that it was needed in a way that I can't explain”

“How was _that_ needed for you two, you guys...”

“Iggy, Noct is right, what we went through...well you remember, but it helped us later on though I guess you and Gladio didn't fully realize it since the timing was so off”

“I see...still if it gets to be too much before the original date...”

“We'll let you know Specs, promise”

“Good enough for me”

“In the meantime I think it's time we get in some of our more...specialized training”

“Good idea, need to practice warp strikes to make sure I haven't gotten too rusty”

“Right, then that's what we'll work on today, don't be too surprised if you make a few mistakes though Noctis”

“I know dad, expecting to considering how long it's been”

And so the group quickly discovers that while they're out of practice it wasn't as bad as they thought, Noctis had the worst of it with phasing and warping because he occasionally landed wrong but even then it wasn't as bad as it could have been since while they didn't have access to the Armiger they had quickly made up exercises that would help them out once they did have access again eventually the training session ended and Regis is the one to speak up

“Well, not as bad as I feared but could definitely use improvement”

“Kinda figured on that aspect dad, good thing the four of us invented exercises that would help us once we had access to the Armiger again, might have been worse without those” “Indeed, now then, Ignis, you and I are going to fight and you're going to be blindfolded, there's something I want to test regarding your ability to fight without sight which still amazes me at times”

Since this was a regular occurrence (in that Ignis fought one of the people who either went back to the past also or the three that had been told of what was to come blindfolded at least once a week) Ignis simply brought out his blindfold but his facial expression beforehand let everyone know that Ignis was slightly confused as to what the king was wanting to test that hadn't already been tested due to the wording that Regis had used not realizing that while they had been training in fighting for several months now what they had forgotten (except for the king, and Cor because Clarus while a shield was mainly focusing on training Gladio) was that while they had mainly fought MT's they had also occasionally fought human opponents, and while human opponents _shouldn't_ have the same abilities as the royal family (minus Ardyn because of who he actually was) there were other ways to be quiet and sneak up for a sudden attack, plus technology might also help in that matter, as such the king wanted to be sure that Ignis would be able to fight against any kind of opponent including opponents that could warp strike or simply be super sneaky and quiet and that's when a huge problem is discovered, Ignis couldn't fight against those types of opponents, he got hit with a wooden sword every time and eventually the king called a halt to the training and Ignis undid his blindfold

“It looks like we've been neglecting an aspect of your training Ignis”

“It appears so, and I know for a fact that there's...well there's definitely an opponent who would be a problem if I were to fight them blind right now”

“Oh...him”

“Yes Noct, him, do you know if?...”

“Don't think so, if he did we won't find out until we meet again”

Regis speaks up

“You mean this Ardyn you guys have avoided talking about since you first told us the story?”

The four nod and Regis simply sighs

“I see, he would indeed be able to kill you if you were blind Ignis, as it is I have tried to do research on him since being told of his history and can't find anything”

“You wouldn't, he was basically erased from our history dad”

“Very well, I will no longer look for him, but still...if he's as tough an opponent as you say he is...”

“Oh he is, he's basically immortal, the only reason I managed to kill him in the end was because of the prophecy”

“Understood, in the meantime how close is the event that forced you two to leave normal high school?”

“Close dad, about another month I'd say”

“Do I have to worry about your PTSD?”

“Um...”

Prompto and Noctis look at each other and with a few quick hand signals that Regis didn't recognize had a complete conversation

“Possible...if any of us fall asleep suddenly during the next month and a half...”

“Use what you taught the three of us to safely wake you up, got it”

What Regis was talking about was the fact that soon after the story had been told all four of them had fallen asleep during a private meeting (at least that was what most of the staff had been told, in reality though it was simply bonding time for the four in regards to being with friends and family again after so long) and Noctis had been the first to start having a nightmare, when Regis tried to wake him up through touching since he had yet to be told of any other method he got a good punch in the jaw as a reminder that Noctis could fight, Noctis then woke up the other three with a commanding voice and all three tried to bring out weapons. When they were fully awake and Noctis saw the bruise on his father's face he quickly apologized for what had happened and then the four talked to the other three and explained the safest way to wake each one of them up if they were asleep and needed to be woken up for any reason and the three practiced it regularly until it became a habit


	4. Chapter 4

“In the meantime I think...maybe we can cut the intensity of the majority of our lessons temporarily”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I can already tell that we've been pushing ourselves too hard and we're starting to pay for it, Specs needs the training to handle the opponents that you're starting to work with him on but otherwise it's best that we relax a little in training”

“I was wondering if you would notice Noct”

“Sorry Specs, the first few days I thought I was imagining the symptoms, plus you're _way_ too hyper lately too”

“It's nothing”

“Oh really?”

“Yes”

“Hm...let me guess, you're actually _way_ over your Ebony quota and I didn't notice that either initially”

“Um...”

“What did I tell you about Ebony before the crystal?”

“Not to”

“ _Or_?”

“If I must limit to one or two a day”

“Exactly, now then from what I have been seeing you've had at least five a day haven't you?”

Under his breath Ignis muttered the actual number and a simply eyebrow told Ignis that he wouldn't be getting away with that and thus spoke up

“Except for a few times it's more like nine or ten Ebony a day”

This time it was Gladio who exploded in emotion with just one word

“ _Ignis_!”

“Sorry Gladio, I know what you said the last time but...”

“Wait...this has happened before?”

“During the ten years Noctis, there was a year about five or six years into it that...well let's just say that Ignis wasn't coping with things as well as I thought and I discovered he was drinking Ebony regularly throughout the day, almost killed himself because of it actually, his collapse scared me and after he woke up I had a _very_ long talk with him about what he was doing to his body”

“I see, you know better Ignis Scientia, that final night...how many had you actually drank throughout the day?”

“Only the one, by that point it was hard to come by so I limited myself to once a month _or_ if absolutely necessary once a day”

“Understood, you're back on limits by the way, and if I ever find out you overdid it again...”

“I know, I know I pay in training”

“Exactly”

Regis clears his throat and speaks up again

“What symptoms are you talking about Noctis?”

Noctis sighs

“Dad there's...there's something you need to know that we didn't exactly tell you when we first told the story, partly because of the fact that quite frankly it wouldn't have made much of a difference, but I guess it _would_ have explained how we know about Hunters in the first place, and know them well enough to tell when things might get physical, or in the early debrief let you know how the system worked and how you could help, because it wasn't just...it wasn't just once or twice that we went on hunts or worked with Hunters”

And so Noctis explained how during the time before he wound up in the crystal the four of them did the occasional hunt in order to gain money for supplies or even simply a safe place to sleep for the night, also the occasional medical expense when it was obvious that potions and elixirs wouldn't be enough

“You learned about them”

“Yeah dad, and I'm sure that the ten years of darkness helped Prompto and Gladio at least to see even more quirks that Hunters all have that let them know when they're preparing to attack anything and of course the Glaives...”

“Right, that still doesn't explain the symptoms you're talking about Noctis”

“Right, that does need explaining still. Once during a hard hunt we didn't know it but we had been overextending ourselves physically, we were tired, and also magically exhausted too which didn't help matters, we simply thought that we were finally dealing with the emotional aspect of losing our home and families, but we weren't. We took longer to make battle plans, fighting exhausted us easier, spells took longer to prepare and other things that I can't easily explain, but one thing I _can_ is that we got a sort of semi-regular muscle tremors that _weren't_ from fighting, I've started noticing those tremors and again Ignis has been going at the Ebony a bit too much”

“I see, three days off for everyone and then, except for the training that's necessary to keep Ignis alive we'll do the light exercises you were taught to do after serious injury to your person so that you don't re-injure yourselves”

“Right, for now though, let's just have some down time here, maybe...I don't know maybe find a way to just watch a movie under the sky or something else that doesn't involve running a kingdom”

“Works for me”

And so the group planned a movie marathon, but didn't actually get very far before the four time travelers nodded off, and Regis, Clarus and Cor got a prime example of their ability to fall asleep any where's no matter how rough the terrain, granted Noctis was already able to do so but to see Ignis especially just nodding off on the ground was yet another example of what they had been through even though it had been a little over six months since they had come back to the past and had adjusted to that life again

“Leave them be, if needed we'll use the safe method of waking them up”

“Agreed, I do _not_ want to get punched if it can be avoided”

Ultimately they did indeed need to use the method they were taught to safely wake the four of them up and it was actually different methods since each person woke up safely to a different method, Noctis woke up to music surprisingly enough, Prompto either woke up to the smell of food _or_ if for whatever reason he wasn't with Ignis or Ignis wasn't feeling well enough to cook (that had happened a couple of times both before and during the ten years of darkness though fortunately not often) he could be woken up by a light in his eyes, Ignis was able to safely be woken up to music as well or if that failed then having no blankets covering him in his sleep as for Gladiolus the safest way to wake him up had been discovered to actually be an unfamiliar voice reading to him (he had wound up in a hospital once and a volunteer had been reading to a patient in the same room which had woken him up from a nap, but he remained quiet and listened to the story anyways since it had been a while since any of them had had the pleasure of reading)

“Wha...why are you waking us up dad?”

“Sorry kids, but it's a school night and I know for a fact that the two of you need to get some things done for school tomorrow, Gladiolus and Ignis also have work tomorrow at a location that I need them to go to”

“Oh, hey wait there's a reason we chose to do the marathon though”

“True, and normally it wouldn't have been a problem, but I got a call and the school decided just recently to hold classes tomorrow to make up for one of the weather days apparently”

“Oh okay...oh yeah they did do that didn't they? I guess I forgot”

“So did we Noct, not your fault”

“Guess we should sleep in actual beds then”

And so the next day school went okay and then Noctis looks at the date and goes pale

“Noctis?”

“Dad it's...it's nearing the time Prompto and I left school through early graduation”

“I see, is there anything special I need to do?”

“Keep as close an eye on the four of us as possible, I can't and won't get into details of the event because they _did_ help Prompto and I survive the fall of Insomnia and going through this again will prove just how much stronger we've gotten since it originally happened but...Specs and Gladio had a rough time originally plus we now have PTSD from everything we've been through so our actions might not...be normal for a bit”

“Meaning that even though you four are supposed to relax you might overdo it on the training to keep your minds off of everything”

“Exactly, we need you to keep us from doing exactly that”

“Understood Noctis, just...just know that no matter what happens between now and when I die that I love you very much”

Noctis gives into his urge to simply hug his father and talks while in the midst of the hard hugging

“I know, and...though you don't know everything since you don't remember I'm apologizing for the way I acted when I left Insomnia to marry Luna, and I'm sorry for the way I acted after I left for my own place away from the Citadel, especially the way I acted when I first learned you needed to use a cane to walk”

“Noctis...I think just the two of us should talk again about the life you lived at some point, because I think there's things you never told your friends that I should hear since they were meant for me in private in the first place weren't they?”

“Yeah”

And so the two simply talked with Noctis explaining how he had acted in the previous timeline and the words he had never told his father originally thinking that they wouldn't be heard, that his father was simply too busy, the private mourning that he had tried to do but could never fully find the time, especially after the incident in Altissia where Ignis had become blind and Lunafreya had been killed by Ardyn and in exchange Regis told Noctis all the things he had been wanting to say for a few years regarding his burden, and then speculated about what the Regis in the previous timeline might have told Noctis regarding his health and everything else

“It's alright to mourn and be resentful for a forced wedding Noct, I just wish you had told your friends about this, they might have understood some of your actions better if you had you know”

“But Iggy might have still...”

“Yes, that is a possibility, but the hostility afterwords might not have been so bad, and Ignis might have been mourning his loss of sight while trying to remain strong for you”

“So much happened dad...maybe...maybe too much in one go, I'm beginning to think we may have acted too hastily in trying to stop the Empire right after we lost our homes”

“That is indeed a possibility, but what happened...happened, and yet you have a chance to change things Noctis, you and your friends are seeing the therapist correct?”

“Yeah, we agreed after the first meeting that we would continue seeing them until they either decided to terminate us as a patient, which isn't very likely considering our issues or we ourselves decide we don't need to see them barring unforeseen incidents where we _have_ to change therapists”

“That's a mature response Noctis, now then about the incident you just mentioned...are you _sure_ there's nothing I can do to help mitigate the issue?”

“Yeah dad, didn't exactly work the first time around anyways”

“Wait, you never said that before?”

“Well, because I actually forgot about it until today for whatever reason”

“I see, by the way where are the other three?”

“Decided that you and I deserve some time together just the two of us considering the fact that ever since we revealed things to you you, Cor and Clarus have been training us constantly”

“Good point, is this part of your relaxing method?”

“Yes actually, though Specs said that he would like to begin the training that's been neglected soon”

“Agreed, we _all_ should have thought about that when you originally mentioned Ardyn”

“Yes, but...we also needed to adjust dad, think about it, how long did Ignis take to get back to normal in regards to his eyesight?”

Regis simply sighs at that knowing what his son was talking about

“I guess in a way you're right, but while we worked on his blindfolded fighting we should have thought about Ardyn since we already know he can fight blind”

“Well, what's done is done I guess, either way we're working on it now”

“Indeed, still...I wonder just how much more dangerous we've made you four”

“Don't think you made us too much more dangerous, you've just helped us adjust to this timeline and allowed us to practice our true skills in private”

“I see, in any case how soon is soon for Ignis?”

“A week, per my own personal order dad”

“Are you certain Noct?”

“Yes dad, we...we need this more desperately than you can imagine”

“Very well, what about the maintenance training mentioned earlier?”

“We decided not to tempt ourselves with that”

“I see, will a week be enough?”

“No, but it's a start anyways”

“Very well, so all of you are going to do things on your own?”

“Yes”

“Okay, let me guess to make sure you guys can”

“Exactly, we've been together practically since we came back that separation is a good thing, I mean I still see Prom at school but we're not glued to the hip like we have been recently”

“Why haven't you tried this sooner?”

“Combination of PTSD, the fact that the training was necessary and adjusting...has been hard, we've actually tried this before but failed”

“Why didn't we know about that?”

“We were _very_ discreet about it”

“Noctis, have you four been hiding things from your therapist?”

“Not...exactly dad it's just...there's so many things that are hard to explain and put into words in regards to what we went through, my friends went through ten years of darkness in the hope that I would return and bring back the light, that's not easily talked about even now”

Regis sighs again

“I put a very heavy burden on you originally didn't I?”

“You had no choice dad, and like I said we weren't exactly communicating very well which made the situation worse I'm afraid”

“Wait, what about Prompto and Ignis if you guys are going to be spending time with your families?”

“Don't worry the two have that sorted out already, by the way don't panic when you hear about Ignis' uncle being abducted later today”

“Noctis...”

“Don't worry dad, it won't be too bad, Gladio and I worked on it with Gladio's father and Cor nearly three weeks ago when we started thinking about spending time with just family separately”

“Wait, you've been working and making plans for three weeks?”

“Yeah, we kept them as secret as possible because you've also been so busy between just being a ruler and helping us with our training and adjusting these past several months”

“Wait, what about training again in three days except for the mandatory training Ignis Scientia needs?”

“The four of us talked and agreed that training isn't happening, we're all taking a week off to be with family and simply _rest_ ”

“You guys exhausted yourselves didn't you?”

“Yes, we did, between the training, the counseling and simply adjusting back to life before...everything we're mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted”

“I don't doubt it, you four have been through a lot over the past six months”

“Yeah, we have been, and as you know we've been through so much before these past months, those three more than me but...well there's things that I went through while...away that they don't know about either that affected me”

“You mean your time in the Crystal”

“Yeah, the ten years in the Crystal”

Regis is silent for a couple of moments and then asks the question that should have been asked long ago when it was obvious that their PTSD, while slowly improving in regards to some issues wasn't actually improving with other issues, specifically their time fighting Niflheim and the ten years of darkness that three of them endured


	5. Chapter 5

“Noctis, have you and the other three actually _talked_ to either each other or the counselor about those ten years?”

“Yes and no dad, we've...we've touched on it with each other since giving you three the debrief but we haven't gone into great details with either each other or the counselor, or at least I haven't, I don't know about the other three since those meetings are of course naturally private and there is doctor-patient privileges involved in those meetings”

“I see, Noctis I don't mean to lecture you but you must understand that if you _don't_ talk about it things will never get better”

“I know dad, it's just...it's hard to talk about these things to a stranger and my friends, while easier to talk to also went through a lot and I think we don't really know _how_ to talk about it, we never did when I returned and that probably didn't help matters, all they knew was that I was meant to die, everything else just wasn't really talked about, there just wasn't time really”

“Either way you four need to actually start talking about that time period to start healing, you may always have PTSD but maybe if you talk about it some it won't be as severe”

“I guess you're right, I'll talk to them about it soon, _after_ Prompto and I are pulled out though”

“Why wait so long Noctis?”

“It's...it's better this ways dad, I know you don't understand how it's better but it just is”

What Regis, Cor or Clarus didn't know yet was that it was _important_ that deeper conversations regarding what they had been through were delayed just a little longer because what the three didn't realize and in a way neither did the four that experienced the time travel was that the four were subconsciously waiting until they could simply be together more regularly before going deep into discussing what they had been through for a year in regards to fighting Niflheim and then the ten years of darkness and fighting daemons, because they needed to support one another and not be bombarded by interruptions such as school or even work on a regular basis which is what would happen until after Noctis and Prompto basically graduated early since due to the incident originally all of them (once the two were done with the tests) were given two straight months to themselves to simply heal from and cope with what had happened and they had needed those two months, now that they had time traveled they knew they would need it even more, especially because of the fact that Regis himself had tried to actually give the four of them four months to themselves but they had started to get antsy at a month and a half and Regis gave in and said that after two solid months had passed they could start getting back into a form of routine that would be different due to the fact that Noctis and Prompto would no longer have school to worry about

“Very well, but don't wait much longer past that please”

“We won't, if need be I will _order_ them to come here and lock the room and tell them that we're not leaving until we start actually talking things through”

“How likely is that though considering everything?”

“Who knows?, the incident that has yet to happen...was stressful for everyone in various ways”

“I understand, just know that I want to help you four as much as possible but I can't if you don't tell me anything”

“I know dad, I know, for now though, let's just relax and have family time without worrying about the kingdom”

“Of course Noctis, of course, now then when should I expect that report about an abduction that isn't actually an abduction?”

Noctis checks the time on his phone real quick

“Oh, should be any minute now actually”

Just then one of the Glaives came in an whispered to Regis that Ignis' uncle had just been abducted and that Cor and Clarus were acting strange when informed of what had happened, Regis simply nods an acknowledgment and once the Glaive leaves Regis turns towards his son

“So, the abduction just happened, two of my Glaives were hurt by the way”

“How bad?”

“Nothing serious, but still did the abductors have to do that?”

“Yes and no, the abductors had to get away but if the Glaives hadn't attacked them they wouldn't have been attacked, Cor and Clarus decided that the abduction would also serve as training purposes for the Glaives and the Crownsguard depending on who was there when the abduction happened, guess the Guard didn't move fast enough or wasn't actually there when the incident actually happened”

“I see, next time plan around things like that better if this is going to become a normal thing”

“Understood dad, we didn't want anyone hurt or seriously hurt and from what you're saying that had a potential to happen”

“Yes, things almost got out of control and the fight could have been much worse, if only because of the fact that Ignis' uncle is also trained if you've forgotten”

“Oops, and I think Ignis himself also forgot because while he wasn't involved in the planning of today unlike before he hasn't done any sort of training with his uncle since we came back. While Iggy would train in private for the most part at least once a month, sometimes twice a month those two would simply spend a day practicing together”

“That's a mistake on _our_ part, insisting that you four constantly do training with the three of us”

“We needed that training though dad, getting back into some form of routine...it's been hard, especially because we need the training we've been getting”

The two stop talking about training and simply decide to be father and son and the rest of the week continued like that with Ignis' uncle requesting the rest of the week off after finding out that the abduction wasn't an actual abduction but simply a means of getting him out of the Citadel and getting alone time with Ignis seeing as how neither Ignis or his uncle would have actually thought of requesting time off even if needed to re-bond with one another (and it was definitely needed what with Ignis spending practically the entire time since being brought back training or with the other three who knew and understood what he'd been through for so many years) but at the same time the group only discussed the one day of kidnapping, the rest was up to those two in regards to how long the break would last past the abduction day (instructions had been left with clear warning that Ignis' uncle wasn't allowed back into the Citadel for the rest of the day and neither was Ignis). A week later after everyone including two of the most stubborn people on record (seriously, the Citadel staff had an official and unofficial record book in regards to who was more stubborn about various things and while Regis, Clarus and Cor were on top of most of the records Ignis and his uncle came very close behind those three regularly, and even beating the three in one area without even knowing about it) took a break they got back into the training routine and started working on getting Ignis able to fight Ardyn or any other enemy that could potentially sneak up and attack him while he was blind, and just as warned the four started falling asleep at even _more_ random times as the incident that everyone was so vague about came closer, primarily because of the fact that their sleep was interrupted more nights than not from memories and when it happened in the middle of a meeting Regis forced Gladio and Ignis to stay behind

“Okay you two, how much longer until this incident happens? I need to know because quite honestly this is starting to affect every one of you in regards to school or work and it needs to stop”

“Not long your Majesty, only about two more weeks from the look of the calendar”

“Fine, just...once the event happens let me know how long you four need to be off and I'll arrange it, you guys look like you already need the break but aren't going to take it until the event happens”

“We're not”

“Figured as much, by the way, once the event happens _all_ training is suspended until you're back on duty, even your specialized training Ignis”

“Understood”

Two weeks later and Regis finally finds out what forces his son and Prompto to leave school and graduate early and give them a bad case of flashback PTSD memories that he was warned about. It had actually started out as an ordinary day Noctis and Prompto had come by from their shared apartment before school to discuss a change in training and at the moment of the incident Gladio and Ignis were with him because of a council meeting when suddenly Cor interrupts the meeting by whispering in Regis' ear (Cor was in the meeting but as the person in charge of the Crownsguard he was connected to all his men with earpieces at all times) that alone doesn't completely interrupt the meeting but Regis putting a hand up and stopping someone from continuing what they were talking about _did_


	6. Chapter 6

“Everyone but Gladiolus and Ignis leave the room, Cor you know what to do”

“Yes sir”

Once the room was cleared Regis folded his arms across his chest and his facial expression said it all but he still spoke

“I don't have all the information yet but something's happened at the school, care to fill me in on the details you've been leaving out about this day?”

The two look at each other and argue with their eyes and with a few gestures and words that were cryptic to Regis but very well known to the small group of four finally Regis clears his throat and says just one word to stop everything

“Enough”

The two look at their king

“Just tell me two things, how hurt are they going to be and how bad are the repercussions going to be since it's Noctis that's apparently involved?”

“The injuries weren't as severe as could be, as for repercussions...due to the fact that neither side was completely at fault blame was instead shared equally, we won't tell you what you decided to do since you need to hear what happened from Noctis directly about the incident, we don't want to influence your decisions in case it's actually worse this time around”

“Very well, we'll wait then”

By the time they received word that Noctis and Prompto were arriving at the Citadel Gladio and Ignis were chaffing to be let out and go to the other two, granted not many people knew about that since Regis had locked the two inside the meeting room with him and thus he was the only witness to their actions that while subtle to some people were _obvious_ to Regis due to the amount of training he had done with them for the past half year, though he was also sure he was missing cues that could only be seen through years of working together (or well for Ignis the cues weren't actually visible but he could still tell things Regis was missing in other ways)

“Your Majesty, Prince Noctis and his friend Prompto Argentum have arrived”

“Thank you, you are dismissed”

As soon as Gladio and Ignis see Prompto and Noctis in person there is visible tension released from them and as soon as they were alone Ignis speaks up

“Let me guess, to keep things as close as possible you two did everything you could to remember what you did last time so as to prevent things from escalating”

“Pretty much Iggy, though we didn't have to do much to keep things basically the same”

Ignis sighs at hearing that knowing it meant that they had done something they hadn't done last time

“Full explanations will have to wait, in the meantime though I think you should explain things to your father”

“Right, he _does_ need to know what happened since this is the event that had us graduating early, I was the one who told him last time and honestly just as last time he needs to know for...security reasons if nothing else”

“Security reasons son?”

“Yeah dad, security reasons, at the moment it's just Citadel security but later on it actually also helps national security so I guess it's a win-win situation”

Regis sighed and then asked the same question as last time without knowing it

“What happened?”

And so together Noctis and Prompto explained the situation that they had just been involved in

“So...first thing you should know is that you're not...entirely to blame at least, and neither are the other participants”

“Ignis said something of that nature”

“Yeah, that's because he knew you would be blaming yourself big time regarding what happened and was probably hoping to lessen your burden even if only slightly. Now then as to what happened, today at school we were talking about history and some of the students started to get...upset about Galahad and the Kingsglaive, and then during the conversation they also started getting upset about Niflheim and since Prompto is known to be adopted and yet his personal history is quite frankly blank they think he might be from there which is true but they don't know his story like you do. Anyways the school has been split between two groups for quite a while and today things just...exploded in flares of tempers, Prompto and I did our best to keep things calm but...”

“Unfortunately, between Noctis being the Prince, me being known as one of the only friends of Noctis, the fact that things simply happened _way_ too fast for the school to get things under control before anything escalated, and the fact that Noctis cares for his people but not in a way that many are aware we got in the middle of things, you see Noct and I were helping the teachers and staff get those unable to protect themselves away from the danger and we took a few hits in their stead. Unfortunately for both sides a few of those unable to protect themselves were the target of the violence, unfortunately for us because that meant we had to be on high alert and unfortunately for the aggressors due to the fact that while we took hits, if the aggressors were close enough they took hits back from the two of us, just enough to allow us to get away when all other options failed”

“By the time everything was under control we had the injuries you see and there's at least one fatality that was unavoidable”

“How unavoidable Noctis?”

“Between the improvised knife with broken glass and being hit by a Molotov immediately afterwords there was simply no way to save the person”

“I see, what else happened up to when things got under control?”

And so the two continue talking until they gave Regis a full report of the situation

“I see, I will need time to think of what to do about this, but in the meantime you four are _banned_ from training and other duties for at least two months, if you request longer you will get the time you need”

“Dad...before you completely ban us from all duties Prompto and I need to do something officially before we take the test to graduate early”

“I understand, by the way I will be making those arrangements myself once things have settled down slightly”

“Yes sir”

Ultimately Regis makes the same decisions and reparations as last time without knowing it. And before the group ultimately took three months off from training and other duties after graduating (because while an unofficial duty Noctis and Prompto knew that school was important and that they were supposed to attend school until graduation) Regis learned that the official duty that _both_ Noctis and Prompto had to attend to was not only an official memorial service for the three people who ultimately died that day but also helping begin the rebuilding process and implementing some of the changes that Regis himself required of all schools in Insomnia, once that was done and the two graduated from school early Regis enforced the at least two months off immediately, in front of the entire council

“Now then, as you may or may not have heard my son and his friend Prompto have graduated from school early due to what happened recently, I have decided that for their health those two and Gladiolus and Ignis are to have at least two months off from any and all duties for at least two months starting today, _no_ exceptions and no trying to force them either _Lentano_ , don't think I don't know what you did when Ignis Scientia came down with the flu a few months ago”

Lentano immediately cowered at Regis' voice when Regis talked about the incident that had happened only two months into the four's return to the past and then he got defiant

“Did Scientia rat me out?”

“No, I happened to witness the event myself”

Lentano didn't know it but Regis wasn't quite telling the truth, it more like Cor and Clarus both witnessed the event and immediately told Regis about it, as soon as Regis found out he countermanded what Lentano had told Ignis and actually sent him away to one of the family's vacation homes for two weeks to allow him to simply rest and recover without being or feeling pressured into working before he felt he could, and then made sure that what Lentano demanded Ignis to do got done either by himself personally or when Ignis' uncle found out, he did the tasks himself, but either way Ignis wasn't involved in Regis knowing what Lentano had tried to do, Regis had made sure of that long beforehand since Lentano was known to go for retribution

“I was...unaware you were nearby your majesty, you see I wanted to speak with you that day but you had all but disappeared after the council meeting and...”

“ _Enough_ , I know that you lie Lentano, you're lucky you weren't dismissed back then or are being dismissed right now, in either case I say to the entire council that there is to be no contact with them for the next two months, and if they decide to extend the time off then you will remain out of contact with them until I formally state that they are taking up their duties again”

Everyone nods and that was that in the eyes of Regis, as for Noctis and his friends as soon as the announcement of their suspension of duties was made they were immediately dismissed from the rest of the meeting and they booked it out of the room as fast as was politely possible

“So...what now?”

“That's a good question considering what we did last time probably isn't a good idea”

“No kidding, let's just head to my place to start off with and then go from there”

“Good idea”

And so they head to Noctis' apartment like always and simply decide to relax for a bit before talking about everything that had happened recently but first Noctis had to do a confrontation

“Ignis Scientia...you are _never_ to hide coercion from me again, especially if it's happening while you're ill, I'm glad my dad intervened but still, that was _incredibly_ stupid of you after all we've been through”

“I'm sorry Noct, I thought I was able to handle things myself, plus as you said your father intervened before things could get too bad”

“What if he hadn't been able to though? I need to know how long this has been going on Ignis because I need you by my side, especially after all we've been through together”

“I understand, it won't happen again”

“How _long_ Ignis?”

“Since shortly after we came back through time”

“Next time this happens, you are to report directly to me about it and I will see what I can do or have dad intervene again, understood?”

“Yes sir”

“Good, now then what _are_ we going to do since we need time to heal, dad is enforcing a two month break at least and we've agreed we can't do what we did last time?”

Eventually they decide that since they couldn't just lock themselves in the Citadel or Noctis' apartment like last time they went to outside the wall to a known royal safe house that was safe for the four of them to just talk and heal from everything they had been through recently, not just what Noctis and Prompto had gone through at the school but the entire past six months or so

“Shall we inform the king about our plans then?”

“Yeah, guess we'd best let him know where he can find us if he absolutely needs us for anything”

“Which shouldn't be likely considering we're relieved of duty for at least two months, though...”

“Yeah, instincts”

“Such hard-wired instincts, it took a _lot_ of control the day the incident at school happened”

“Don't doubt it Prompto”

And so the four told Regis where they would be if he needed to speak with them for any reason and then once they were packed they left the Citadel knowing that they wouldn't be back for at least two months, but the three that knew their secret also knew that they simply needed to get away from Insomnia for a little bit, to give them a little more time to heal from everything because being in Insomnia while healing from what they had been through had not been easy and was actually an ongoing process with them at the moment _because_ of the fact that they actually hadn't had an easy time trying to heal and deal with every day life once more at the same time (needless to say it wasn't going as well as anyone had hoped and that was without adding a few minor incidents at school that led up to the major incident)

“Be safe, all of you, and if you even _try_ and return to work before two months are up you're going to regret it in training. I won't forbid you to keep your forms up to par but no actual combat training, and if you can avoid weapons training then do so”

“We will dad, promise, see you in two months at the very least”

With a final hug goodbye with family members the four leave the Citadel (with a Glaive escort seeing as how the Glaives were needed in the area anyways) and an hour later they were at the safe house where they could simply...relax and heal, with the time that they so desperately needed. The first week was basically spent doing nothing but fishing and other things that were recreational, with running done on a closed trail every day to keep in basic shape. But by the second week the four of them knew that the peace would somehow be broken soon, though they didn't know how, when or even why it would happen, just that it would and it made them all tense. Eventually though halfway through the second week they found out how the peace would be broken, a riot had broken out due to Niflheim insurgents secretly being brought to the area and the four had to fight to keep things from getting too out of control, however everyone they took down was taken into custody with relatively minor injuries compared to those who fought a Glaive, a Guard, and a few local law enforcement officers, with those three groups there were actually a few deaths, but the four knew that it wasn't the fault of those trying to keep the peace considering the fact that their opponents had weapons and were doing their best to kill the Glaives, Guards and officers

“Okay, how did you guys manage to deal with this situation without seriously hurting anyone?”

“How bad are their injuries?”

“A few broken bones, one extremely mild concussion, and the witness stated that it was the idiot's fault anyways, and somehow something you used gave five of them an allergic reaction, we'll be keeping them overnight even though the reaction was apparently mild just to make sure the reaction doesn't get serious since it was apparently inhaled”

The four winced in unison and said one word out loud together too

“Oops”

Then they looked at each other and with a single nod Noctis was the one who was designated speaker

“That...wasn't intentional, and you're right to keep an eye on those five, what they inhaled wasn't exactly something meant to be inhaled and we don't actually know what can happen in that form, actually didn't even know that inhalation would cause an allergic reaction, and...I'm afraid I can't fully explain what they were given for security reasons I'm afraid”

“Understood, should they be kept under watch longer than overnight?”

“Um...Ignis?”

Ignis thinks a moment and then nods

“Yes, it might be better to keep them here for at least twenty-four hours under police guard though”

“Will do, and we've already told the patients that due to a mild allergic reaction to an unknown substance we're keeping them overnight at least, we'll tell them that due to...blood work we'll be keeping them a full twenty-four hours as a precaution, and we already have police guarding them and they know it, the police are ready to stand watch here for as long as it's needed for them”

“Very well, the officials know how to contact us if they need us”

“Okay, thank you for the information you could give me”

And with that the four went back to the house they were staying and went to sleep, and they would also find out to their shock that they didn't have any PTSD related nightmares that could have been triggered by the action that night (it had happened more than once over the past six or so months, especially on the days that they couldn't do anything to help because it would be too suspicious, weekends or even days when a couple of enemy forces got past the wall somehow were _very_ helpful for the three who only knew about what they had been through instead of lived through it because of the fact that whenever an incident happened the four time travelers were always restless and anxious even knowing that specific events were going to happen as they should when they should, as such the three that were given the story always paid for the restlessness in training the day after an incident). The next day the four woke up at basically the same time and once Ignis was done with cooking breakfast Noctis took over

“So...I know I probably shouldn't ask but did anyone wake up in the middle of the night after a memory filled nightmare?”

One by one the other three said that their night was actually peaceful and then Ignis turned the question back on him

“I also had no nightmares about our past, which is kinda surprising”

“Indeed, last night is normally a trigger for all four of us”

“You three more than me, but I can get triggered all the same”

They were all silent for a bit and then Noctis spoke up again

“You know, I think this shows just how far we've come since...since we came back”

With that all four of them think back over the past several months and all of them thinking it started on a specific day


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way I didn't write this earlier for two reasons, the first is because I wasn't sure if I should write it since it's not something I write regularly even with doing time skips I don't normally deal with mental health issues, the second reason is because I wasn't sure what to write in regards to showing the process of them adjusting and dealing with their PTSD. And this is actually going to start back when they eat dinner to explain what had happened to them, and while it won't go into the greatest detail because again I don't normally write something like this I will give an overall description of what happens and at least one detailed description of an incident a month since like with most time skips I will write which month it is and then write what happened in that month

The three finished eating and then gave the four of them a glare that basically said that they had best start giving them answers, but they didn't begin right away and then Regis spoke up

“Noctis? I think we can start talking now that we've finished eating at Mr. Argentum's request”

Noctis looks at Prompto and just says one word

“Prom?”

Prompto nods that he was satisfied that the three had met his condition

“Okay...so how do we go about this guys? I start and then you pick up where I am forced to leave off?”

“Um...no I think we should all take turns explaining things, you can start though and when I give you _that_ signal I pick up and then when Gladio or Prompto gives me the signal they can pick up and then when...when you can't do any explaining the three of us will completely take over until you're able to join in again and then you'll take over once we're the ones who can't do any explaining since we...well you know”

“Yeah Specs, I know, and I agree with your plan, Gladio, Prompto?”

The two nod letting Noctis know that they too agreed with Ignis' plan

“Right then, that's what we'll do, it makes sense actually, so...the beginning, should I start with the breakdown or before?”

“Oh definitely before, I think you should start with the reason behind the journey in the first place”

“Ouch, that's six months before...well before everything truly began for us”

Regis speaks up just then

“What _exactly_ are the four of you talking about? I know that you requested this meeting be more than just you and I Noctis, but I don't know why you did so”

“Oh...right, that, I think we forgot the first thing first issue guys”

The other three wince in unison and also say just one word in unison too 

“Oops”

“So...the first thing is that you, Cor and Clarus should know that the four of us...well physically we're the age you think we are but mentally...we're from the future, almost fourteen years from now...wait actually almost fifteen now that I calculate that bit”

“I...see, and Ignis wants to start with this mysterious journey”

“Yeah...it's...it's not something I like to think about, either the journey or the reason behind it”

“Noctis, you don't have to go into great details regarding what led to the journey, you can just give me a brief summary if you wish, but don't make it so brief that I have no understanding of why you left in the first place”

“Okay I can do that, it's going to be brief but you _will_ understand why the four of us left Insomnia in the first place”

“Noctis...maybe I should explain this part of the story”

“No Specs, this is my duty...my actions leading up to that day...maybe I can partially make it up by telling the story's beginning, especially since while I was in the crystal Bahamut somehow managed to allow Ulric to contact me and let me know _exactly_ what happened here, things that not even the Cor we remember knew about”

“What do you mean Noct?”

“Oh...you'll find out Iggy, that's part of the beginning I'm going to tell in regards to when we get to the day we started the journey”

“Understood”

“So...six months before the journey it is then. I guess I should start off with saying that you were tired dad, maintaining the Wall is draining you even now, but at the time...it was the worst anyone had ever known, and that was _with_ the fact that your few public appearances had you wearing a knee brace and leaning heavily on a cane so as to enable you to walk. Niflheim knew you were weakened but wouldn't give up without a serious fight, and so...they proposed a treaty that would bring both sides peace” (scoffs) “peace, now for the four of us that's a laugh and a half considering we've never had peace, but I digress, anyways as I said a peace treaty was agreed upon and everyone had such high hopes for it to succeed, part of the treaty was that I was to wed Oracle Lunafreya in Altissia in six months time and the signing was to be held here in Insomnia, the preparations for such short notice was hard and fast but everyone succeeded, though I unfortunately acted in ways I shouldn't have, I wasn't happy being forced into a political marriage even though Luna and I had been friends and talking via a notebook for twelve years by then. The day we left...let's just say I wish I hadn't acted so aloof and actually said the words I had wanted to say, had hugged the you I said goodbye to, Cor said later that you had wanted to be a father in those last hours and not the King, anyways as we were leaving I...I did something I seriously regret now, I told Titus Drautos to take care of my dad, little realizing what I had done. To understand that I need to sidetrack and talk about Nyx Ulric who is or will be a Glaive, a very loyal Glaive who actually disobeyed orders and was punished, thus allowing him to be in the city when...when it fell, and yes I will get to that in a few moments you three, he was also the one who allowed Luna to escape Insomnia too by the way. Anyways as I mentioned earlier while I was in the crystal Bahamut allowed Nyx to speak with me and Nyx told me what happened the day Insomnia fell. I think you should know first of all that the peace treaty was a lie, they attacked during the treaty and they had help, Titus Drautos is a traitor and the one who helped kill you dad, and by the way do you know how hard it's been to keep myself under control every day while seeing that traitor walk around without a care in the world and close to the people I care about?” (sighs) “anyways, Niflheim razed Insomnia, during all of this Nyx Ulric was given a mission along with another Glaive to get Luna out of the city and they succeeded, but at a heavy price, Nyx put on the ring of Lucii to allow Luna and his fellow Glaive to escape and the price of doing so was death. Meanwhile the four of us were blissfully unaware of this development initially, though I admittedly had a weird dream seeing as how we were on our way to Altissia by then”

Noctis sighs heavily at that and takes a sip from the drink in front of him and simply shakes his head when Ignis simply says his name in a questioning voice once he was composed he continued telling the story, this is because while he _could_ have let Ignis continue temporarily Ignis hadn't given him the definitive signal that stated that he was to take over for the moment and as such Noctis made the call that he would be the one to continue the story for the moment

“So...it was a nice day when we left Insomnia, like I said I asked the traitor to take care of you never thinking it would lead to your death, we left Insomnia and the Regalia broke down, by the way did Cindy ever actually say what happened to cause the breakdown in the first place Prom?”

“Nope”

“Got it, anyways, we pushed the car all the way to Hammerhead where we left the car with Cindy temporarily to allow her to fix it up, and while she was fixing the car we went on the first of many hunts, which I will not get into very much, but let's just say that we needed to do the hunts in order to get money for supplies seeing as how the outside world uses a currency known as Gil while we don't. Eventually we continued on our way to Altissia, stopping in Galdin Quay because it was the only way to get to Altissia but we found the ports closed...that's where we met two people, one...one was ultimately an enemy while the other...um...how did he act after darkness fell anyways?”

Gladio spoke up that time

“Good ally, surprisingly halfway decent Hunter, hurt having to bury him six years into the darkness because of a daemon attack”

“Was he...”

“No, he was lucky in that regards, never got infected but...it was a bad fight, I was there for said fight and the daemon took over half our forces out either through infection or simply getting a lucky hit in regards to fatality. Dino himself was hit fatally after trying to cover for another Hunter who had been hit, the Hunter he sacrificed himself for ultimately had to be put down because of infection, standard policy when possible by that point I'm afraid, Dino survived just long enough to do a good bit of damage with his weapon, heh, tried to blow himself up in defiance that one did, figured he could suicide the enemy into defeat, but the device for suicide failed, but his weapon...oh his weapon was going to be put in a place of honor once the dawn came and we could properly memorialize the dead because of how much damage he'd managed to do in his final attack with that weapon”

Regis suddenly interrupted

“Excuse me, infected?, standard procedure to kill someone?”

“They'll explain when we get to that part dad, anyways Dino managed to procure a ship for us to be able to get to Altissia after we did something for him, but we couldn't leave until the next day for various reasons. Anyways that night I had a dream that basically told me what had happened but I hadn't realized it. Specs here was gone when I woke up but when he came back...it was with a newspaper and his posture wasn't good, it turns out that what was in the paper he brought back was in _all_ the papers. Insomnia had fallen, the peace treaty failed, and you were declared dead in the papers, when I heard that I made the decision to return back to Insomnia”

Suddenly Ignis gave Noctis the signal that it was his turn to tell the story and Noctis relented because in all honesty he was starting to get a little too emotional to continue and Ignis knew that

“When we got close to Insomnia we found it blocked by troops, it was obviously a trap for us but we didn't fall for it, as such we took a back road and fought MT's until we got to a location overlooking the city, over Prompto's phone we heard that Noctis and Lady Lunafreya were also considered dead. Noctis eventually got in touch with Cor, who confirmed that the King was dead, and also that he would meet Noctis in Hammerhead though we actually initially met with Monica who told us where to find Cor, which was at the first of the Royal tombs that Noctis had to visit to gather the Royal Arms. As such we hunted various trouble makers that we were told about by...well people who would know and join in the hunts for supplies in between getting the Royal Arms, though honestly the second arm that we got equaled trouble for us for a bit because the Regalia got stolen by the Empire, primarily thanks to that no good immortal Ardyn Izunia”

Noctis suddenly speaks up

“Actually, his rightful name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum, he's of our bloodline which means he has his own Armiger, but I'll get into that later, you can continue Ignis”

“Right, well anyways eventually Cindy gets into contact with us, granted first Umbra came to Noctis with a message from Luna and then Gentiana came and said that Noct here had to form a covenant with the Six, the first of those was with Titan, and that was...well the fight was intense, and actually how we lost the Regalia in the first place seeing as how Noct here formed the covenant after getting the second of the Arms because Titan woke up being that the Arm was where Titan was sleeping. In any case when Cindy called and let us know that the Regalia was at an Imperial base we decided to...reacquire it as fast as possible, that's when we snuck into the base and basically stole back the Regalia, it's also when we came across Ravus again for the first time in a while...he had a prosthetic arm on him, though I don't know how that came about I do know what happened to him eventually, but anyways we left and then went back to Lestallum for a bit”

Suddenly as if there was no warning Gladio started speaking

“By that time Noct had also fought with Ramuh, or well, no he didn't fight Ramuh but he did gain a covenant with him, we found out that we needed mythril to repair your yacht King Regis and so that's what we did, going up against Aranea for the first time, and Noct, as you were already partially aware she cut ties with the Empire at some point after we fought each other, during the ten years she was one of the higher ranking hunters, as far as we last knew she was alive in Lestallum, in any case once we repaired the yacht we went to Altissia...where everything went wrong and we didn't have anyone to help us get through that disaster either. Noctis met with the leader of Altissia and then went to the speech Lunafreya made before summoning the Leviathan for the covenant to be made. I don't know what happened at that location or Ignis seeing as how we split up but Prompto and I also separated and did our best to help the civilians”

“I stole a flying bike to allow Noctis to get to the Leviathan so he could form a covenant and then there was a lot of fighting to be done which I did”

“As for me...those of you that time traveled know that I was blind for ten years, what you _do not_ know is how I came to be blind in the first place, I was also alone and fighting Imperials when...when Ravus decided to betray the Imperials so as to try and save his sister, as we headed to the alter I found out how he lost his arm and came by the prosthetic one, he put on the Ring of Lucii and it cost him his arm. In any case we arrived at the alter in time to see Lunafreya die and Noctis unconscious, Ravus tried to kill Noctis but I defeated him. After that a person that I _thought_ was Gladio arrived, but Ravus saw through the disguise and attacked Gladio before Gladio could kill him, the disguise was dropped and it was _Ardyn_ , who we didn't realize could do illusions. At some point they managed to pin me down, but that's when I saw the Ring and...and I put it on myself, willing to pay the ultimate price to keep Noctis alive seeing as how Ardyn basically wanted to kill Noctis by that point, I didn't die but I did ultimately lose my sight for ten years, but it was a small price to pay for the bigger picture, at least that's what I basically told Noct when he found out I was blind”

Noctis suddenly speaks up

“ _Ignis_...”

Ignis looks at Noctis who is glaring at him so intensely Ignis knew that he was lucky looks couldn't kill or he'd be dead by that point

“You should have known better, and if you come across this situation again you are _forbidden_ from putting on that ring”

“Understood”

Gladiolus then gives Ignis the signal that he was to take over

“Noctis wound up being in a mild coma for about a week and in that time all of us...well let's just say that certain events might not have happened if we'd had backup in the form of support”

“Why didn't you get in contact with me at the very least?”

“Because we couldn't, you died shortly after Altissia Cor, we had to find out through Monica that you were dead, and we didn't deal with that very well considering the fact that we were still dealing with the fact that Ignis was blind, Lunafreya was dead and Noctis...he wasn't in a very good mental state, I yelled at him on the train actually about his attitude”

“Gladiolus...”

“No Cor, you get to be silent, you were _dead_ , killed by going up against a daemon alone while looking for possible loyal Glaives because of a rumor that not all of them had turned the day Insomnia fell, you should have known better than to do that kind of a journey alone but because you didn't we had to do everything by ourselves. In any case a few weeks later we got to a Royal tomb and Iggy here confronted all of us regarding our attitude, outright telling me that Noct would take his rightful place in time and that if he continued to slow down the group to the point it was hampering us he would voluntarily leave the group and allow us to continue the journey alone. Shortly afterwords we boarded the train for Tenebrae and that's when Ardyn showed up again, tricking Noctis into pushing Prompto off the train”

“Yeah that wasn't fun, but it allowed me to discover my origins, the fact that I was meant to be an MT, in any case eventually the other three came to Zegnautus keep and rescued me from captivity, I am _not_ explaining how I got captured and arrived that that location though, don't like to remember it actually”

Gladiolus picks it back up

“In any case after we rescued Prom and found out about him being from Niflheim and supposed to be an MT we were separated from Noctis, again, only managing to get to where the Crystal was being kept after it had absorbed Noctis”

Noctis gives the signal that he _needed_ to speak before they did again

“During our separation and fighting the absorption process, Ardyn came and said a phrase that was confusing but oh so true, that's when he told me his real name that that he was from our line dad, I think...I think he was originally supposed to be the founder king, in any case he also told me about the Starscourge and how it brought about daemons, humans infected were made into monsters, Ardyn healed them in his original time but...he was rejected by the Astrals because of this. In any case I was ultimately absorbed into the Crystal for ten years and entered into reflection where Nyx talked to me and told me about what had happened during the fall of Insomnia and that's also during the time the Ring absorbed a lot of power for the upcoming fight. In the Crystal time...passes weirdly, I didn't even know it had been ten years when I first woke up in Angelgard, I found _that_ out through Talcott who had grown up so much during those ten years”

Prompto then gives Gladio the signal that he wanted to take over before he starts speaking again and so began his own beginning, and with the fact that they were separated by forces not their own choosing the three explained what they had done during the ten years of darkness, how Ignis regained his ability to cook and fight through hard work, and that he could fight better blind than not blind because of how long he'd fought blind, the fact that they had basically gone their separate ways because they had to, and then the call from Talcott after ten years saying that Noctis was back and that they would meet up in Hammerhead and that's when Noctis took over again

“I was back and was glad to see them, and once we were ready we left Hammerhead to return to Insomnia, though we camped one last time before then and I told them my fate which was hard to do. Once we got to Insomnia...it wasn't pretty to see what a decade had done to the city though the Citadel was in take because of Ardyn. We fought and defeated Ifrit and then I had to fight Ardyn and it was intense”

Noctis went into greater detail regarding the fight against Ardyn while the other three explained what they were doing during that time

“I eventually beat Ardyn and then after I told those three to walk tall, I went in and ascended to the throne for the first and last time, pulled out my sword and told the Kings of Lucis to come to me...you were the one who dealt the death blow after I begged you to dad, I had to ask you to trust me, and so the final fight against Ardyn was in the Astral realm where I defeated him while those three were fighting daemons to keep the ceremony undisturbed. After I won the fight I thought I would end up in the afterlife, but instead I was given the choice to come back to the past with the other three and change things, though I was also warned that dad would die and Insomnia would fall no matter what I did and I _took_ that option, because to change my fate, Luna's fate, Ignis', and simply the ability to save even just a few more lives...that was worth going through our loss again. Anyways you know what happened after I took up the option so I don't think we're going to go into great details about that”

“I see...the four of you are dismissed while the three of us discuss what has been spoken about”

The four bow to Regis and leave clearly knowing that they've been dismissed and thus they went straight to Noctis' room

“So...what do you think they're talking about?”

“Most likely whether or not to believe our story since we have no real way of proving that we've been through what we've been through”

“Guess we'll have to wait until they call us back to talk further with them and try and see if we can't prove our story”

“So...how do you propose we try and do that?”

“Um...”

And so they do their best to try and figure out how to prove their story not knowing that it wasn't needed. When the three came to Noctis' room and said that their story was believed because of tells they accidentally left they were relieved and then being told about the training they would be getting was an even further relief because Ignis knew he needed to fight with his sight again but he was so used to fighting without it and was afraid he would be forced to lose that skill unless he lost his sight again which would be frustrating in regards to having to relearn how to fight blind

“Thanks dad for explaining...um are the tells visible to others?”

“I can't say for sure if they are or not Noctis, those tells were only visible while you were telling us the story but that might not be the only time, it might be noticeable in training as well”

“Yeah...that's gonna have to be done in private since Iggy here is going to be doing blindfold training at the same time he's relearning to fight using his eyes”

“There's also the fact that most likely all four of you have advanced skills that neither the Crownsguard nor the Kingsglaive have due to your specific situation”

“The hunts we participated in”

“And your fights against the Empire, both when you snuck onto bases and out in the field”

“Then there's the fact that three of us hunted daemons regularly during ten years of darkness”

“Exactly, you three especially learned skills that were advanced and _needed_ in those times, while for Noctis he didn't learn quite as much but...he still learned plenty and you guys most likely haven't gone into great detail about all the hunts you did for Gil”

“No we didn't”

“And we understand that and respect your decision on when or even if you ever tell us about your hunts that you did for survival, though...and it doesn't have to be tonight, I _do_ need to know more about havens and Hunter structure if only to see if there's anything I could do to help”

“Not tonight dad, but soon, though...actually Cor you definitely need to know as well considering you worked with the Hunters up until your death”

“Yeah, Monica told us about your death but she found out from a group of Hunters who discovered your body, they said you had been dead less than an hour by their estimates, they buried you where you fell, or at the very least where you were discovered”

“I...see, I will take that under advisement for now though...I think the three of you need to get some sleep”

“No, Noctis and I still need to talk about...issues that will be happening in the next month”

“No you don't, we're from the future remember? I already know that security changes are going to be needed for a month at the very least while Cor is sent on a mission, which means Iggy is going to be stuck in the Citadel helping you during that time”

“That was basically _exactly_ what I was going to tell you”

“I know, I wasn't in the greatest mood because of it and Prompto got the brunt of my emotions and for some reason you excluded my Shield from this information”

“There was a reason I didn't want Gladiolus to know about this, though I doubt the father you remember told you this but there are times when a future Shield is tested in dealing with the unknown or unexpected, this was to be a security test for him in that he would have to figure out how to protect you without Ignis beside him helping him with your schedule”

“How would it have been a security test?”

Gladio speaks up

“Wait...I know, now that I think about it there were a couple of times during that month that I thought I could feel someone watching me and Noct, whenever I turned to look though the presence was gone”

“Exactly, the security testing was to see if you would notice if someone might be watching either you or your charge, or both, you would be followed until you noticed the presence but that was _all_ that was supposed to happen, sneak attacks are for another time though...I don't think that will work on you anymore, on any of you really”

“Yeah, gonna have to agree with you on that one, our training...well let's just say that survival meant being hyper aware, especially when hunting daemons at night which was constant for ten years”

“In any case for now I shall leave you four alone to sleep”

When Regis said that the four looked out the window and realized just how late it was, but only Regis left, Cor and Clarus remained behind and then Gladio spoke up

“What's wrong dad?”

“Cor and I need to talk to the four of you before we allow you to sleep, Regis covered the majority of what needed to be talked about immediately but...there's still some things that we need to discuss out of the king's hearing”

“I may not be king in this time period but I know for a fact that there is very little that is discussed without dad knowing about it”

Cor is the one who speaks up this time

“Prince Noctis, your dad already has a basic idea of what we need to discuss but he does not and will never know the particulars of this discussion, he was actually quite insistent on that to our surprise”

“I see...then speak Marshal and hope that the four of us can understand this mysterious conversation you want to have without my dad's full understanding though with his permission”

“Security for all four of you, not just physical security but mental and emotional security as well, do we need special guards who will never talk about the nightmares they might accidentally overhear you four having, and are the four of you simply going to live together in Noctis' apartment from now on?”

With those questions asked the four knew _exactly_ where this conversation was going and also why Regis refused to get involved in this conversation despite his right as a concerned parent, because he had to remain as neutral as possible for political reasons, it was also why he wasn't extremely involved when Noctis had moved out of the Citadel and into the apartment he now lived in. Noctis knew in a way why his father couldn't be involved as did the other three and so it was discussed what they were going to do, which was for the moment remain status quo in regards to the fact that Noctis would be living by himself in his own apartment still, but security would be increased and they would be special guards who would keep any nightmares the four had to themselves and then Clarus insisted that Gladio spend the night at home, that any further discussions regarding therapy would be done once they were actually coherent

“Understood, when will this start?”

“Tonight in a way, but completely tomorrow, are the three of you staying here in this room tonight?”

One look between the four said it all

“In that case, we'll be the ones guarding you four tonight and then go from there”

“Understood, though...should Clarus really be here?”

“Prince Noctis, King Regis is fine, he has other guards besides me and while I am forever his shield and will protect him at all costs there have been times when my King has asked me to watch over you instead, and little though I like it I have done as ordered”

“I see, understood Amicitia”

The four actually managed to sleep without any nightmares that Cor and Clarus were aware of, but they actually had and the four talked about it

“I don't think it wise to do any duties today”

“Yeah, you're probably right I think...I think it would still be nice to go out and just...see the city”

“Yeah...it's...it's been a while hasn't it?”

“Yeah, we've...been a bit busy since we came back”

“Still...I'm going to have breakfast with dad first, I think after last night you three are free to join us any time”

“I don't think you should be making those kinds of assumptions Noct”

“Then I'll ask my dad Specs”

“Let us know how that goes, now then I do believe you need to get yourself presentable to eat breakfast with King Regis”

“Will do, and you're right best get ready to have breakfast with dad, in the meantime...should I have someone send something up for you three?”

“Yeah, that might be for the best”

And so during breakfast Noctis thinks about how to breach the subject of Prompto, Gladio and Ignis joining the two for breakfast whenever they had breakfast together but doesn't get the chance to do so, primarily because his dad preempted him on that

“Noctis...where are your friends this morning? I would think that they or you would want to join us after the rough time I heard you four had last night”

“I...they said to ask you about it dad”

“Any time they want to join us, when you can eat with me yourself they are welcome, any meal Noctis not just breakfast by the way”

“I'll let them know”

“What are your plans today by the way since I am not discussing anything with the four of you until tomorrow at the earliest depending on reports I receive tonight?”

“Sight seeing mostly, it's...it's been a while since we've seen the city full of people, the last time we truly saw the city...it was in ruins and I had to get a jester off my throne”

“Jester?”

“Ah...that's what I called Ardyn when we met for the first time in ten years”

“I see”

And so breakfast became silent and then the group left the palace and simply enjoyed seeing the city for the first time in a while, and it was full of life

“The people...they look so full of life right now, with little care of what's happening beyond the wall, they have no clue what's to happen in the future”

The group simply sits in a park silent for a while and then Noctis speaks up

“We're gonna change this guys, we may not be able to change the actual destruction of the city, but the death toll?...that we most definitely can change”

“We'll need your father's help though Noctis”

“I know Specs, I know, though didn't we get reports of the fact that after the Wall came down there were survivors that managed to escape?”

“True, but you also know that many more could have survived if...”

“Yeah...that's also true”

The four stayed out and about for several hours before going back to Noct's apartment and playing games

“So...when are we going to talk to your dad about the Hunters?”

“Soon, it has to be done soon because quite frankly I want to be able to help the Hunters _now_ even if it's in small ways”

“But will they accept the help of the Crown?”

“That's a valid concern all things considered”

“Maybe...maybe give him the information he absolutely needs and then hint at the fact that maybe he shouldn't be too obvious about any help that's given from him”

“That should work”

“If he actually listens”

“He should considering everything”

“Okay, for now though we have the rest of the day to ourselves...um what _exactly_ are we going to do when it comes time for Noct and I to go back to school?”

“We'll...we'll figure it out Prompto I promise”

“Guess we'll have to considering...”

“Yeah, dad's probably right about us most likely having PTSD from everything we've been through”

“Which means it's going to take time to set things up since we need someone with enough security clearance who can be considered trustworthy”

“Point, but well worth it I think to help us deal with everything”

“Agreed”

“Definitely, oh by the way dad said you three are free to join us any meal we have together”

“Understood”

And so the next day the four of them talked about the Hunters and the havens and it turned out that they didn't need to hint to Regis about the fact that it would be best to keep any and all involvement of the Crown subtle and not known

“I see...I can easily guess that the Hunters are a proud group that doesn't like to ask for help, as such any help that I may give will be given through intermediaries whenever possible and if not possible than I will make sure that my involvement is known as little as possible even if they do know it's from me”

“And the Havens?”

“They will keep for the moment, I will have to make a decision later about those havens”

“Understood, though now that I think about it you may not actually be able to do anything about the havens”

“Good point Noct, havens are basically camping spots that are magically protected, to interfere with that magic...”

“Then if I do actually do something about the havens it won't be anything major”

The next day Regis, Cor and Clarus would be told how to safely wake the four up from any nightmares because while the staff had been told that a meeting was being held between the seven of them in reality it was simply family bonding time, and during that time Noctis and the other three fell asleep

“They look peaceful”

“Yes...but I wonder how long that will last, those four...they'll definitely have PTSD due to what they've been through, and there's not a lot we can sympathize with due to the fact that we don't remember anything, I apparently outlived the two of you even if not by a whole lot and I can't talk about that year with them since it...it wasn't _me_ that went through all that loss and fighting before the ten years of darkness”

“We'll figure it out Cor, I promise, we may not be able to help them a whole lot ultimately but we'll figure out how we can and go from there”

“I think simply sleeping in a safe place right now is helping, Noctis can sleep at any time but the other three...I think this is the first time they've just collapsed on us like this, makes you wonder how much sleep they got on the road and during the ten years of darkness”

An hour later and Noctis looked like he was starting to stir but Regis and the other two soon realized that he was actually in the throes of a nightmare and as such Regis decided to try and wake his son up

“Noctis...Noctis time to get up”

The first time Regis touched his son nothing happened, but part of that was because only the clothes were touched, the second time around Regis actually shook his son's shoulder and got punched in the face for his efforts. Immediately after Regis backed away the three people who had been told the story learned _exactly_ how in tune everyone was with each other and just how commanding Noctis had learned to be even if he hadn't fully taken up his responsibility at the time Ignis went blind and Lunafreya was killed

“Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, get up!”

The other three get up and it's obvious to the observers that they're trying to summon their weapons, which wasn't happening since they currently didn't have access to the Armiger, and because of that the four soon come out of their dream induced haze, and that's when Noctis saw the bruise on his father's jaw

“Dad...what happened?”

Regis temporarily debated lying but then decided that wasn't the best choice for Noctis

“You were having a nightmare Noctis, so I tried to wake you up and you decided I was a threat and punched me in the jaw, and then you woke up the other three and all four of you tried to summon your weapons”

“I see...”

The four think for a few moments and then Ignis speaks up

“Perhaps it might be best to teach you three how to safely wake the four of us up if we're in the middle of a nightmare and you decide we need to be woken up”

The other three easily agree to that plan and so are told the safe methods of waking the four up and also agree to practice those methods on a regular basis

“For now though you four are getting more rest”

“Understood, what about what was talked about recently regarding the havens and the Hunters?”

“Let me worry about that Noctis”

“Yes sir”

The rest of the first month was spent getting used to the training routine again alongside the school and work routine with Regis deciding ultimately that he _would_ help in regards to the havens in that while he wouldn't mess with the magic of the havens he started stocking the havens up with supplies that were desperately needed, he did the same thing with Hunter locations that were known in bigger quantities, plus whenever he wasn't sending Hunter locations supplies he created a special patrol of a combination of Crownsguard and Kingsglaive members whose task was to find out if there were any Hunter tags needing to be found to return to a Hunter so that the Hunter could give at least the tags back to the families of those lost


	8. Chapter 8

_Month 2_

Prompto and Noctis were in school when suddenly class was interrupted by one of two announcements that were, while not regular something that everyone knew could happen, partially because of drills run twice a year and partially because it had happened a couple of times for real over the years, though the second of two were less frequent than the announcement that was made (the enemy got _lucky_ those times that the school was actually evacuated)

“Attention all students, classes are canceled for the rest of the day and you are to stay here until further notice under lockdown”

No one noticed it but Noctis and Prompto got really tense waiting for word on what would happen next, and for the next two hours they were stuck waiting to hear if they were being evacuated from the school or given the all clear and evacuations weren't normal evacuations either, the evacuations were made in broad daylight with minimal Kingsglaive and Crownsguard assistance due to battles being fought, but the routes were planned to take that into account and those routes were _protected_ with the most vigor but finally an announcement was made

“Attention all students, the situation has passed, however due to the fact that school ends in an hour anyways you are being dismissed early and the normal schedule will be resumed tomorrow”

Noctis and Prompto go straight to the Citadel from school and _try_ and do homework, unfortunately they were too keyed up by adrenaline to actually get work done, fortunately Ignis and Gladio knew that and immediately took the two to the training room where Regis, Clarus and Cor were waiting for them

“So...shall we?”

“Yes, we shall”

And that's when all of them learn that when the four are kept from doing something when an incident happens those that were only told about their lives and didn't live it are absolutely _destroyed_ in training, Ignis and Gladio weren't quite as bad off as Noctis and Prompto for the simple fact that they had other duties during the lockdown but they too had to burn adrenaline

“Okay...time...for...a break”

“One problem Cor, Prompto and I are still wanting to fight”

Ignis speaks up

“Then let's do some of the training we did while on the road before Altissia”

“You two need to burn adrenaline still too don't you?”

“Yes, but we're not as bad off as you and Prompto Noct, we had things to do here in the Citadel”

“Which means you and Gladio won't last Iggy”

“Don't worry Prompto, we'll manage”

“Fine, let's do this then”

And so the four time travelers continue the training doing what they did before Altissia and it was intense still, but not quite as intense as going up against the three non time travelers who didn't have adrenaline still running through their systems, but Ignis and Gladio proved that they could still match Noctis and Prompto for a time, but finally the training had to stop and it was just Prompto and Noctis doing training still dealing with their adrenaline

“Okay, why are you two still so keyed up after...two and a half hours?”

“Just am, it's hard not doing anything when we know something needs done, things might be worse if there's a breech and we'd be unable to do anything”

“We'll cross that bridge when we come to it”

Eventually Noctis and Prompto calmed down, granted right afterwords they both passed out but the fact that they had gotten it out of their systems was a good thing in everyone's mind, plus since it was a weekend the other's weren't worried about how to deal with the school the next day

“Ignis, Gladiolus, are the two of you going to be as bad off when there's an actual breech and you can't do anything?”

“Not sure your Majesty, that's most likely a wait and see situation”

“Understood”

The next day all four of the time travelers talked about how to deal with training whenever they were keyed up on adrenaline due to being unable to take action during an incident involving Niflheim

“We limit training no matter how keyed up on adrenaline we are whenever King Regis, Cor and Clarus are involved”

“Agreed, we can go at each other for however long we like or can when it's just the four of us but...I agree that we limit it with dad and the others, they didn't deserve what Prompto and I did to them yesterday”

“Yeah, you two destroyed them in training”

“We'll help them figure out a way to allow us to train after we're keyed up on adrenaline and yet still allow them to let us know when they need us to stop or take things a little easier on them”

“Okay, that should work then”

And so the seven of them discussed training the next day for whenever a situation arises and the four time travelers aren't allowed to help protect their home and come up with a plan

“Guess all that's left is to test the plan next time something happens and you four are stuck at your locations unable to do anything because it would be too suspicious”

“Guess so, in the meantime we can continue normal training”

“Let's do it then, Ignis, today I want you four to fight but you're going to be blindfolded while the others can see”

“Oh...this'll be fun wouldn't you agree Noct?”

“Yeah, I never really...well we never really fought together with you blind all things considered, all I learned from Talcott is that you learned how to fight blind despite arguments from the others”

“Yes how did that happen anyways?, all the three of you said was that after several arguments Ignis proved he could cook and fight again”

“It...it wasn't just arguments, there were a couple of physical fist fights too, you see Prompto and I were worried that Ignis couldn't fight anymore due to a combination of his being blind, not having complete access to Noct's Armiger and the fact that the daemons were getting stronger every day, it took a year and a half but eventually during a hunt Ignis proved he could handle himself again unlike when he was newly blind, but Ignis never really said much about how he regained his skills”

“It wasn't easy, not just because of the arguments between Prompto and Gladio, but also because learning to fight and cook when blind is not something one thinks about having to learn, Aranea was actually a big help and motivator, let's just say that while she helped me with my forms and was a sparring/hunter partner she let me fumble my way through any mistakes I made and gave me the confidence to get my life back, though I will admit that she probably got sick more often than not while I was relearning to cook, though she also never complained about that”

“Right, and how often did you hurt yourself relearning to cook?”

“Frequently enough that there were days she handled the cooking initially, but eventually I managed to prove I wasn't going to kill anyone or hurt anyone cooking or fighting”

“And then eventually you had a hunt with those two and proved you could handle yourself”

“Indeed, now then we were about to start training with me blindfolded and the rest not correct?”

“Right, let's do it”

Cor, Regis and Clarus thought that while it wouldn't necessarily be easy that they could take the four considering that Noctis didn't have as much experience fighting alongside a blind Ignis as Prompto and Gladio did, and even then the three that spent the ten years of darkness fighting admitted that they hadn't fought together too frequently because of their own duties, they forgot that fighting while all four of them could see gave the four a distinct advantage called complete trust in one another and an innate ability to know exactly what the other person was doing at any given time

“Okay, you four can fight even if Ignis is blind, you just destroyed us in training”

“We're used to each other dad”

“I know Gladio, but at the same time we weren't sure how coordinated you would be from what you told us regarding how everything happened after Ignis went blind”

“Well now you do know”

“Iggy, quick but valid question, will it be easier fighting with the aid of my magic or not? I know you didn't have many options once I was in the crystal but...”

“No magic Noct, it might upset the balance I have”

“Got it”

“But one thing I don't understand how is it your dynamics stayed relatively the same after all this time?”

“You try spending almost a year fighting Niflheim as a four man team with no backup and then see just how much things change after ten years of knowing how each other fights intimately, think Cor, we fought daemons, Niflheim, Ardyn, and various creatures for Gil, for almost a year, and yes we spent ten years apart but we _know_ each other in regards to fighting style, even if one person's fighting style changed slightly after being blinded”

“Admittedly during the ten year darkness the three of us worked with Hunters more regularly than we would have liked, but it was for the best”

“Yeah, the Hunters sure were organized, we collected tags occasionally like you have your special team do dad, though...remember that one hunt?”

“Oh, that one, the one where it took us four, Dave, Monica who decided to join us for whatever reason, and six other Hunters, and that was _after_ three other teams of at least nine had a go at it”

“Oh yes, and that hunt had been ongoing for how long again?”

“I think the record stood at two and a half years because it was so dangerous and hard to get a group together that was big enough”

“Wait, two and a half years that means...”

“Yeah, it's going to be starting soon enough, in about a year and a half I think, or is it two and a half years?”

“Two and a half years I believe”

“In any case, we might want to deal with that issue ourselves”

“We'll figure it out later, right now there are confused people in the room”

“Right”

The rest of the training that day went smoothly even with the fact that there wasn't any further explanation about the random memory being brought up to three people who hadn't lived through what those four lived through


	9. Chapter 9

_Month 3_

Everyone could tell that Noctis had had a rough night, the three who knew about the time travel suspected something had triggered a PTSD episode earlier the day before, as such the three were relieved that it was a weekend and thus Noctis could simply rest and enjoy the day, the other three weren't there that morning but mainly because of the fact that Ignis, Gladio and Prompto had decided a week earlier that it would just be Regis and Noctis for meals on Regis' birthday, they would do the same next year for Noctis' birthday

“Noctis, how were you last night?”  


“Besides the obvious?”  


“Yes”  


“It was...okay I guess, I was...I was remembering going up against the Infernian, I dreamed...I dreamed that Iggy was lost during that fight, doesn't help that it was mixed in with an earlier hunt where we  _did_ almost lost Iggy, and that was  _before_ Altissia”

“Right, and what triggered it?”

Noctis sighs realizing that Regis knew that more likely than not a memory of that proportion was  _always_ triggered, there were times when there wasn't any triggers and it just happened but there were definitely dreams and memories that had to be deliberately triggered and this was one of those situations

“The security reports”

“Should have known, Noctis, you know that those reports don't necessarily mean anything”

“You can't know that for sure dad, yes the four of us haven't done anything to make major changes yet, but at the same time our memories aren't quite reliable in regards to the past at times, I remember something about those security reports that you regretted not paying more attention to but I forget what that regret was about”

“For now we won't worry, it might be something minor that I regretted and that's why you don't really remember what it was that I regretted regarding that security report”  


“I hope, so...I got you something recently that I've been saving for this day”  


“Noctis...”  


“I know, I know, you don't want anything for your birthday, especially considering the formal parties that are required for both of us every year but...I thought you might like this and...well I hope it reminds you that while I still feel I have to make up for my actions in the past timeline, I also know that this time things  _are_ different, and I am trying my best to deal with those differences”

With that Noctis gives his dad the gift he had found nearly a month after the four came back to the past, it was also something that was  _important_ to both of them no matter which timeline they were in

“Noct, this is...”

“Yeah, I found it almost a month after we first came back and felt it fit the situation quite well, but I wasn't quite ready to give it to you then, only recently decided it was best to give it to you for your birthday, in private”

“Thank you...shall I wear it tonight and shock everyone?”

“Um...not sure actually, I mean it would be nice but some of the council members...”

“Right, I'll make my decision later, for now though I thought you four had plans for later today, before the formal dinner”

“Right, thanks for reminding me about that”

“Will they join us later? I know that two of them have to attend the dinner but...”

“No, apparently they decided we deserve alone time as family today a week ago”

“I see, well for now there aren't any really important meetings which is why I gave Ignis the day off in the first place, you four just enjoy the city like I know you've been doing on a regular basis ever since you came back”

“Yeah, I don't think the novelty of seeing our home full of people and not destroyed and run down will wear off any time soon”

“In any case, you have a few hours of free time”

“I'll let them know where to meet up with me and we'll go from there”

The four simply spent time together and then got ready for the formal dinner that night, Prompto had to be officially invited or otherwise he would have never been allowed in the Citadel that evening, but he was invited so that worry was taken care of

“Hey Noct, I know that there's things that still need dealt with but...after the incident that has us graduating early and the healing time we take I need to talk to your dad about something”

“You want to take formal oath don't you?”

“Yeah”

“You know you're underage for that”

“Not like it stopped it from happening to Specs and Gladio”

“Actually, that's a little more complicated than you think Prompto, it isn't so much that they took formal oaths before they were of age as much as they said specific vows that stated that once they were of specific age they would publicly state their formal oaths and be bound to me and my magic at that time”

“Oh...didn't realize that”

“Yeah, not many people do, most people think that both of them took formal oath when they were technically too young to do so”

“Why do so many people not know the truth?”  


“It's...complicated Prompto, in any case we should get ready”  


“Right, so are you getting ready at the Citadel or the apartment?”

“Apartment, by the way you're coming with me for that, Specs said he had something for you for the party tonight”

“Okay, by the way why did they decide we needed to be alone?”  


“They knew I needed to talk to you about tonight, besides they're not as far away as you think  _and_ they know our skills”

“True, don't spend...well the time we did together without learning and knowing each other”

“Exactly, we could fend for ourselves right now if we had to...but we don't have to, it's time to go so that we can get ready for tonight”

“Right, signal them that it's time to go?”  


“Oh they already know, we have alarms set for tonight”  


“How come...”  


“We weren't sure it would actually go through until  _yesterday_ ”

“Wait what?”

“Yeah, dad...let's just say that there's been...fights with the council lately and you're one of them, dad takes your side every single time even before the whole time travel mess that we've gotten ourselves into but the council...well you know what they are like I'm sure”

“Yeah, I remember”

“Well, they weren't exactly happy with you being on the guest list and dad has been fighting them for the past two weeks to keep you on said list, finally succeeded with some sort of argument that I am unaware of yesterday”

“Got it, so...can I at least grab some stuff from my place that I _know_ I need”  


“Yeah, grab what you need and then we'll go to my place”

And so they go to Prompto's place where he grabs his shower supplies, and a suit that the other three had gotten him soon after they came back from the future

“Okay, let's go, we don't exactly have a lot of time do we?”

“Not as much as we'd like”

And so two and a half hours later and the group was ready for the party, but they didn't immediately depart because what Ignis had to give to Prompto involved a ceremony, it was normally a semi-public ceremony but Regis himself insisted that the ceremony be done in private between the four of them

“Prompto, this is something that King Regis insisted you have, normally there would be more people to witness this ceremony, but due to our past our King has decided that this ceremony will be in private between just the four of us, and yes it is legal since Noctis is Prince”

“Wait, there's legality to worry about in this ceremony?”  


“Yes, there is”  


“But then...”  


“Prompto, we'll tell you the story behind why there has to be legality to the ceremony, but I swear to you that part of the legality  _is not_ that the Council are witnesses, the  _only_ real legality is that the King or Prince has to say the words or at the very least be witness to the ceremony, everything else is tradition that has been added or changed throughout the years”

“Noct's right, to be honest my dad was the one who said the words for _both_ my ceremonies as was his right as the sworn Shield, granted only the second ceremony was the one that he absolutely had to say at least part of the ceremonial words because Shields...well that ceremony is a bit complicated and the oaths we swear show how complicated our loyalty is, thus why the tradition for as long as can be remembered is that the current Shield says the ceremonial words to the one who will be the Shield in the future, the one who protects the Prince in the meantime”

“And let's not forget both of _my_ ceremonies”  


“No kidding, those were both more complicated than Gladio's and because he's the heir to the title of Shield his ceremonies are  _complicated_ ”

“That's what happens when one is six years old”

“In any case, which of the three of us shall do it?”

“If I have a choice I want Noctis to do the ceremony, he is my King, even if right now I serve King Regis I will do so knowing that is what my King wants and needs at this time”

“Sorry you three, but when dad told me that this ceremony was to be done I had something different in mind, something that represents the four of us and our journey”

“Noctis”

Noctis puts a hand up

“My decision is final, however, understand that I knew that Prompto would most likely be hesitant about everything if I wasn't involved, as such I have decided that the three of us together will say the words that are needed for this oath, one at a time of course except at the end, Prompto you already know the words you need to say since your words are basically the same both times your oaths are taken, just slightly different wording is used and Gladio will tell you the slightly different wording before we truly begin the ceremony”

And so once Gladio tells Prompto the few changes to the oath Noctis reveals that he was changing a few things as well, it was actually the entire reason  _why_ Regis decided to let Noctis hold this ceremony in private, because he knew that the standard oath just wouldn't cut it since they had been through a lot and Regis gave Noctis permission and words to say for the revised oath

“Prompto Argentum, your oath has already been given though few know this, do you swear to your oaths again now and when you can legally say your oaths once more?”

“I swear that when the time is come I will formally announce my allegiance and say my oaths with pride”

Noctis nods at Ignis who says the next part of the ceremony

“This path is not an easy path, few are able to go down this path once, much less twice, are you willing to fight and potentially die for Lucis, for King if asked for?”

“I swear”

Gladio then speaks up

“Then rise Prompto Argentum, you are now a Crownsguard in training, though we know you to be a Crownsguard in truth”

With that Prompto gets back up and Ignis presents him with what everyone had been wanting to give him for a while but couldn't, it was also something that Prompto knew he would have to keep as secret as possible until it was made publicly known that he was a Crownsguard, it was a skull pendant, that he had received the last time but never wore for reasons that were known only to the four core members of the group, there was also something that none of them wore and that was a ring showing their allegiance

“Normally you would also be given temporary access to Noct's magic just so that you can get used to the idea of what you will be using and feeling once you're of legal age, but considering our situation that is a step you will be missing”  


“How temporary is temporary normally?”  


“A week, you have a week of the Prince's magic before access is lost to you until you are of legal age, after that if it's absolutely required King Regis temporarily grants you access to  _his_ magic, but that magic is automatically lost every time the situation is over with”

“I remember the one time I needed access to his Majesty's magic, that wasn't a fun experience because of the clashing differences between Noct and his Majesty”  


“Ah, I guess I should have clarified a bit, until you are of legal age to access Noct's magic the King will grant you magic at need, at least until you are of legal age, and like you said if something happens to temporarily cut you off from Noct's magic and yet it's needed his Majesty will grant you temporary access to  _his_ ”

“But like you said because of our situation we're skipping the step where I lose access to Noct's magic until I am of legal age”

“Precisely, now then it's time to go if we're to be on time for the event”

Gladio speaks up

“By the way, got one more thing for you Prompto, catch”  


Prompto is given an ear piece and realizes  _exactly_ what it meant, it meant that even though he wasn't officially a Crownsguard or even an official recruit (he had yet to formally submit the paperwork) he was to be a hidden security member, and he also knew that hidden meant from everyone but specific people, mainly those in the know about the time travel

“Dad said to give that to you all things considered”

“Right, no one knows unless absolutely necessary right?”

“Exactly, and let's hope that it doesn't become necessary because otherwise...”

“The secret's out...big time”

Ultimately the group  _would_ have to fight, it started out normally and everyone thought that they would get away with a peaceful evening, but it wasn't to be unfortunately

“Thank you, now then my son has a few words to say and then...”

Suddenly Noctis shouted in an obviously distressed voice

“DAD!!!”

That one word galvanized everyone in security to action, Prompto subtly managed to get close enough to grab a discarded gun (Cor had deliberately done that earlier knowing the issues that the four had in regards to needing to keep the secret) and then made sure he was close enough to take care of any other issue. Meanwhile Clarus got close as did a Glaive called Crowe and both worked together to stem the blood flow while keeping the knife dangerously close to the heart in place

“We need to move, now, but also carefully”

“Clarus...my dad...”

“He's in the best hands Highness”

Two hours later Noctis is finally told that his father was stable, but currently in a basically medically induced coma

“How long...?”

“We won't be keeping him in a coma for long your Highness, only for three days at most while the worst of the injuries are healing”

“I see...I see, thank you doctor”

Once the doctor leaves Noctis let's loose his emotions that he had kept a tight hold on the entire time his dad had been in critical condition and surgery

“Thank goodness, he's going to be okay”

Clarus speaks up

“Prince Noctis, with your father in his current condition you are our leader, what are your orders?”

“Cor, as my Marshal I need you to lead the investigation into the attack tonight, you and the Glaives are to work together, and yes I know what that means, dad and I are still working on that aspect, Clarus your job is being my dad's Shield, you are to remain here and guard him, however understand that I need you in top condition which is why Cor you're going to be losing Monica and from the Glaive you're going to be losing both Nyx Ulric and Libertus Ostium on rotating days since I already know that despite the medical coma being only three days he might be unconscious for longer, plus he will be too weak initially to leave this area and as such I need those three to handle my father whenever you or Clarus are not here”

“What about you your Highness?”

“I will take care of matters of state until my father is able to again”

“Understood”  


The next two weeks were stressful for everyone, the night of the attack the four time travelers were surprisingly able to have decent sleep since they were able to take action during an event, that  _did not_ mean they had uninterrupted sleep, but their sleep was easier than if they had been unable to take action. The rest of the two weeks however were plagued with the fact that the investigation into the attack was going slowly, the council was trying to swamp Noctis with paperwork, Prompto was doing his best by taking notes in classes and bringing Noctis his homework with the teachers having notes on each first page that he was to turn the homework in whenever he was able to get it done and Ignis and Gladio weren't really spared Noctis' temper which was dealt with mainly in training sessions, finally though two weeks after the attack and only one week after Regis woke up he was deemed strong enough to take up the lighter parts of his duties

“You did well Noctis, you really have grown haven't you?”

“Dad...I was king, even if only for a short time I was king”

“I know, it's just...hard for me to adjust to the fact that you're interested in politics”

“Yeah, maybe...maybe if I had been the first time around things would have been slightly different in regards to the strain you undertook”

“Maybe, maybe not, in the meantime you can stand down Noctis and be a normal...well mostly normal high school student again, and if your teachers give you grief over missed classes...”  


“Don't worry dad, already got a note from all my teachers each day Prompto came over with homework that said to do the homework and turn it in on my own time meaning when I actually  _have_ time to do the homework”

“For now, rest Noctis, rest and recover your strength”

“Thanks dad see you...in the morning...maybe”

Noctis would sleep for a full day and a half straight, and be asleep for most of the day for another day and a half with him waking up (barely) for necessities, but finally he was back to a pseudo regular schedule


	10. Chapter 10

_Month 4_

After the previous month which was _hard_ everyone in the know about the time traveling hoped for an easy month, unfortunately there was one _minor_ issue with that hope, one that all four of them had forgotten due to the training that they were constantly doing, it also didn't help that all their traveling messed with their minds in regards to timing in their journey, they knew they had been on the road for almost a year but that was about it in regards to the timeline. They didn't realize that they were hitting the anniversary of Altissia, where Ignis went blind, Luna was killed and they were only a few months closer to losing Noctis to the crystal for ten years, it didn't help that they had teamed up with a couple of Hunters shortly before they managed to leave for Altissia and the hunt they went on...didn't go quite as planned and a few Hunters lost their lives, and while they didn't exactly have time to think about that before Altissia it was subconsciously affecting Noctis on the train (though no one realized it at the time), as such the four were having a rough time sleeping at the moment

“Noctis...how are things?”

“Not sure dad, the therapist is trying to help me at least get more sleep since I've been having trouble lately, they want to see if there's any subconscious memory I've blocked, not sure if I should let them though”

“That's up to you Noctis, but it might help considering you've said before that time tended to blur together during your journey”

Noctis ultimately decides against the therapists decision, but the nights got worse and worse, and all four of them started getting snappish, though they kept their snapping to the training room, and then on the day of the anniversary of Altissia they woke up the worst they had ever been and all four of them were at breakfast and Noctis was the one to speak first

“Two things dad, the first is that last night was the worst night so far, the second is that all four of us want to know the date”

When Regis told them the date all four of them froze

“What's wrong?”

“Altissia, no wonder we've been having issues, today is the anniversary”

“It also explains why I've...been dreaming about the fight with _him_ lately that caused my blindness”

The three other time travelers groan at hearing that

“Iggy, do you need to fight?”

“Yes Gladio I think I do”

“Right, you're fighting me and dad though Specs, partly to let you vent at someone who has the same abilities and partly to see if we can recreate the fight”

“Noct...”

“No Ignis, you need this, probably more than you think you do, the fight needs to be recreated minus one critical detail, no ring for you”

“But that was the only way I was able to...”

“I know...I know, but dad and I will keep it to manageable levels after all, we're not _immortal_ like _he_ was”

And so the fight did indeed help Ignis, especially because of the fact that Prompto and Gladio were able to join in this time for the recreation (though Ignis still did the majority of the fighting) and the fact that the ring wasn't used also helped Ignis with healing (very, very slightly though) and then Clarus speaks up

“Now then Ignis, you're probably still going to have to deal with the anniversary, but hopefully it will no longer be as hard for you...I think the anniversary so far has been extremely rough”

Prompto speaks up

“Yeah, he tends to get drunk and...hate to say it Iggy, but in the early years I deliberately stayed to prevent you from killing yourself in the days after the anniversary, mainly because of the fact that the first year after Noct...well you know, I had to pull your own blade from your hand at least five times a day for a _week_ ”

“I...I don't remember that”

“I know, between you being plain drunk that first day, and then...well according to Talcott you were getting more and more depressed that first year especially about everything that had happened, especially cause of the fact that there had recently been a sudden loss of a group of Hunters, experienced Hunters too”

“Oh”

The rest of the day was spent with the four time travelers basically having serious family time together for Noctis and Gladio while Prompto and Ignis deliberately did their own thing to help each other cope with that day, and then the next day the group got together again to discuss the anniversary in more detail

“Now then, we know that Ignis will have problems because this is where he became blind, but what about you other three?”

Noctis, Prompto and Gladio all mentioned that they too might have problems, Noctis because of the fact that he was the one that went through the trial and may or may not have witnessed Luna being stabbed by Ardyn (his memory was a bit hazy on that fact) and Prompto and Gladio because they were in other parts of the city at the time and weren't there to protect either of them from what had happened to them, especially Ignis going blind

“We'll deal with those issues as they come up, for now though I think you four should simply relax for the rest of the day, duties are officially suspended until the day after tomorrow”


	11. Chapter 11

_Month five_

Noctis woke up with a soundless scream, ran straight to his apartment bathroom, got sick and then looked at himself and remembered that the entire group was back in the past before everything had happened

“Right...just a dream...a really, really realistic dream since it's actually a memory, but a dream all the same”

His mind unfortunately was still in the memory, where it had been a _bad_ hunt, primarily because it was a combination of a hunt for a strong enemy and right after getting one of the Royal Arms, all four of them had been injured, with Ignis needing two Phoenix Downs during the battle, and the others needed Potions a few times to keep themselves alive, plus on that particular hunt they were with a group of Hunters and unfortunately three Hunters died while the others were also seriously injured, this was due to the fact that while the Hunters _could_ absorb the magic of the items it simply wasn't as effective for that group for whatever reason. The hunt also drained the group of the majority of their supplies healing wise

“I think...maybe I should talk to dad today about how he dealt with similar types of situations, either that or Cor”

He goes down for breakfast at the usual time and sees his companions looking as bad as he did and speaks up

“Let me guess, bad night with memories?”

“Yeah, for some reason that Marilith invaded my dreams, might have been because you _fell_ _off a cliff_ and made me honestly think you were a goner”

“Huh, had the same dream Prompto, then again as Shield I have a _lot_ of those what if scenarios and dreams come at me in my sleep”

“Indeed, as for me I had the what if scenario happening to me regarding Dead-Eye”

“Right, that fight...wasn't pretty, say Cor how do you deal with fights that go wrong no matter what you try?”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

“What do you do when despite your best efforts people still die?”

“Work through it as best as possible and live for those lost”

Ignis speaks up

“Okay, which fight are you thinking about?”

“The hunt where _you_ needed two Phoenix Downs, we needed Potions ourselves a couple of times and the group of Hunters with us lost three of their own despite us giving them a Phoenix Down and the others were wounded and for some reason the Potions weren't as effective for that group, and this was right after getting a Royal Arms, oh yeah and we needed to _seriously_ restock on our healing supplies afterwords, we're lucky we got a good discount when restocking”

“That fight, yeah that one was a pain to deal with alright”

Cor speaks up

“I see...well my advice would still be the same ultimately, I would also say that sometimes the magic simply doesn't work as well on people making Potions, Phoenix Downs and the like less effective than normal, we don't know why that is, it simply is”

“I see, wish we had known that back in the original time, might have made some of the fights better in regards to the aftermath of grief”

“What does that mean?”

“Sometimes it was hard for us to deal with the loss of a comrade even if they were only a temporary comrade, we thought we were to blame sometimes, that we did something wrong that meant a Phoenix Down didn't work”

“Survivor's guilt”

“Yeah...survivor's guilt”

“We'll help you guys through everything when you let us, in the meantime know that you aren't the only ones who have suffered survivor's guilt and we'll help you through it as best we can if you let us”

“We'll see, but for now...what you heard today is what you get I think”

“Understood”

The rest of the day was spent training as usual and trying to see if maybe, just maybe a new formation could get started with Cor as part of the four man team since he _did_ survive the fall of Insomnia, so far it wasn't going so well, but considering they had only been working on it for two days everyone knew that what they had (which was basically the four man team doing what they usually did with Cor providing distance support) was a good start, but only a start


	12. Chapter 12

_Present_

“I think of course this past month is the sixth month and considering what happened at school and tonight it definitely proves we've come a long way”

“Indeed we have, still, what are we going to do with our minimum two months?”

“Heal, and talk about everything we've been through...I also think we should as a group and separately talk to the therapist and hold nothing back like I at least have been”

“Agreed”

And so the next two months were intensive healing from their mental and emotional wounds while the third month that they requested for themselves was to make sure that they were in a good place mentally by deliberately having themselves exposed to certain triggers, they knew that they would always have PTSD and would have bad days or even bad weeks, but not being so reactive to their triggers was a huge help in their minds, but finally they returned to the Citadel in the early evening at the end of the third month, just in time to join Regis, Clarus and Cor who were having a strategy dinner, but as soon as the four entered the other three stood up and greeted their family members and friends

“Welcome back...is everything settled?”

“Yes dad, we're ready to resume our duties”

“Then tomorrow we're going to start the Council meeting without you four and after a certain signal from me Clarus will leave to get you guys who will be standing right outside the meeting room”

“Got it, by the way dad Ignis has yet to expand on that comment regarding when he was sick and you intervened, I've asked him twice now but all he says is that you have to be involved in the story too”

“I see, why is that Ignis?”

“Partly because parts of my memory regarding that period are...hazy if I were to be honest with myself and partly because there are details that only you yourself are aware of since those decisions and actions were taken in the privacy of your office”

“I see, I guess I should have thought of that myself, but why do you want to know Noctis? I thought everything had been dealt with already”

“I don't know dad, I need to know what you did in regards to what you found out Lentano was trying to force Ignis into working while he had the flu and Ignis I don't think dad knows everything regarding Lentano during that time period, once the full story is out I will decide for myself if dad and I should discuss harsher punishments for Lentano including...including banishment from the Council”

“No Noctis, we unfortunately can't banish him from the Council”

“Ignis...”

“There's a reason Noctis”

“Dad...”

“No Noctis, listen to us both, you have to understand that there's a reason I haven't removed him from the Council yet, even though I so desperately wanted to do so only a year after you were born the first time and then once more even more recently when I found out what he had done to Ignis”

“Oh and what reason is that?”

“The fact that quite frankly he's the only one competent enough for his seat at the moment”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yes Noct, seriously, as you know I've gone to the meetings in your stead for quite some time, even in this timeline where you're more active in your duties there are times when you just...can't attend those meetings and there was a brief period where Lentano was unable to attend, I don't know the reasons behind that but it happened, the person who took over...how would you describe them your Majesty?”

“An unorganized, lazy, bad for the people substitute, Lentano isn't exactly better in regards to being good for the people, but that's only really when it comes to Citadel staff for the most part and the citizens the rest of the time, and even then he makes sure that the people don't suffer on his account whenever possible and when I say suffer I mean really suffer, think...well I don't think I have a comparison, do you Cor?”

“No”

Gladio speaks up

“I do, and Iggy and Prompto will back me up on this, the ten year period of darkness after Noct was drawn into the crystal, I mean sure people being refugees was bad but...the ten years of darkness...”

“Agreed”

“Well then, there's your comparison, so now do you understand why I can't relieve him Noctis?”  


“Yes, don't like it, but I won't relieve him of his duties...permanently anyways”  


“Noctis...”  


“Hey, even you can agree that things won't fall to pieces if he's gone for only a week and even then he won't be  _exactly_ idle, I was thinking...putting him on Hunter tag recovery duties, maybe he might learn something from that”  


“If that's the case I'm going to send him out for a month and suspend his office during that time, unless we can find someone competent this time around”

Suddenly Ignis and Gladio look at Prompto who speaks up

“Hey, I may have learned things during the ten years of darkness but for one thing I don't know what Lentano even does and for another I'm just a trainee Crownsguard, who people think only got in because of Noctis being my friend”

That brought everyone up short because even the first time around none of them thought that Prompto got in because of being friends with Noctis, he got into the Crownsguard because of his own hard work and thus didn't realize the comments that Prompto heard on the sly that he ignored since he knew the truth, even with him going in earlier this time around because he didn't actually  _need_ the training they thought he was holding his own well especially in regards to him hiding his true skills. As such Regis decides to speak very slowly and clearly

“Prompto, have you ever, in this timeline or the other been bullied or abused because of what you just said regarding being allowed into the Crownsguard because of your friendship with Noctis?”

Prompto gulps and then speaks up in a firm but soft voice

“Yes, I have, and I never really tried to say anything because the one time I almost brought it up, to Cor actually, I was stopped by some of the ones who were bullying me, they made it look like an accident though and with the fact that most of the bullying was done out of sight I didn't think I had enough proof to bring to Cor that they had escalated. Now then it hasn't happened in this timeline yet, but I promise as soon as it starts, if it actually does I will bring attention to it either to Cor or Clarus your Majesty, this is mainly because I see those two the most due to the fact that Cor is the one who supervises our training and I go over to Gladio's enough that I see his father from time to time”

“Very well, We shall trust you on this matter, but understand this Prompto Argentum, if We find out you broke your word We will find an appropriate way to punish you”

“I understand your Majesty”

Prompto replied instinctively as such because he understood that Regis was using the Royal version of speaking which meant that his word was absolute, and then after a moment spoke up again

“Though that still doesn't solve the Lentano issue”

“So you're strictly set against taking his place temporarily?”

“Yes, I think it's for the best right now”

“Then we'll think about it a little more before we stand him down from his station for a little bit, in the meantime...yes Noctis you do indeed deserve to know how Ignis was treated by Lentano and since he has refused you the story until we could tell it together I guess now is the time”

_Two months after their return_

Ignis was tired, stressed and sick with the flu, and then heard a voice that had been harassing him since shortly after the time travel incident

“Scientia I need you to do some work for me”

“Not...now Lentano...I have...have to...”

“To do what I tell you to do Scientia, after all even though you are advisor to the future King I currently still outrank you”

“But...”

“NO Scientia, here's a list of everything you need to do, and on top of that I also need you to visit five different shops the entire week to see if an order of mine is ready, I will give you that list of shops right now and also when you need to visit them, oh...and don't be late when it's finally time to report to me your success in these duties, you don't want to see what will happen if you are”

“I understand”

“Good, and don't forget that you're behind on the other duties I assigned to you”

“Yes sir”

With that he leaves Ignis to try and figure out how to handle all the duties that he was told to do, he didn't know that Cor and Clarus had come to find him so as to get him to go to medical and take time off because everyone could see that Ignis was pushing himself through illness, but with the fact that he seemed to be getting worse every day they were worried that Ignis himself wouldn't realize what was happening until he collapsed. When they heard the threat and the defeated sound in Ignis' voice they changed their minds and immediately went to Regis knowing that he would want to hear about what they had just overheard, when they gave their report he went completely still for a few moments and then the look in his eyes scared them enough, but it was his suddenly calm voice that _really_ scared them in regards to what might happen to both Ignis and Lentano

“I see...I will have one of you bring Ignis here, along with the lists you overheard him say he was given, I will also have you two subtly start investigating how long this has been going on in regards to Lentano coercing Ignis into doing his duties. Once I have finished talking with Ignis I am sending him away to rest for at least two weeks at the location I was sent to when I was about his age and got hurt”

“So which one of us is preparing it?”

“Both of you”

“Understood, after we escort Scientia to your office?”

“Yes”

“Yes sir”

And so they head to Ignis' office and see him working feverishly (both figuratively and literally this time) on the tasks that Lentano assigned him and his own at the same time and interrupt him

“Ignis”

Ignis looks up and then stands up at attention

“Yes sir”

“His Majesty has ordered us to escort you to his office”

“Yes sir”

Both could tell that Ignis was scared and confused with just his voice, this is because of the fact that both knew that Ignis was always afraid of making a mistake in this new timeline that would make it necessary to remove him from his duties either temporarily or permanently, not realizing that since he had been recruited at such a young age that fear had basically always been present, a few minutes later and Ignis is alone with the King who could tell that Ignis was nervous, which wasn't normal at all as far as he was aware of

“Ignis...how are you feeling?”

“Fine...your Majesty...just a...a minor cold I assure you”

“I'm afraid that considering how long it's been I don't believe you, as such I am ordering you to go to the medical wing”

“Yes sir”

While Ignis was in the medical wing getting diagnosed with the flu Cor and Clarus gathered the papers and when Regis saw everything on both lists he grew more and more angry

“And you say that it's implied it's been going on longer than we suspect?”

“Yes sir”

“I see, we aren't telling him anything about us knowing, but he _is_ going to be ordered to take a break for two weeks no matter what the doctor says because I know for a fact he's been running himself into the ground since...that incident”

“They all have to be honest”

“Yes, but with Ignis being physically ill I can push for him to take a break”

“Good point, to the medical wing then?”

“Yes, to the medical wing”

Once they arrived they saw Ignis hooked up to an IV line and asleep

“How is he doctor?”

“He has a severe case of the flu that's doing a good job of trying to turn into pneumonia, I'm surprised he hasn't actually collapsed yet”

“Wait...he hasn't actually collapsed?”

“No, I deliberately had to sedate him when I said I wanted to keep him under observation for twenty-four hours to see if the antibiotics helped in preventing pneumonia, he told me that he didn't have time to waste being sick and that he'd rather deal with the consequences of being seriously ill at a later point then missing some sort of deadline that's apparently coming up soon”

“I see, how long is the sedation supposed to last?”

“Four hours, after that it'll be all natural”

“Hm...Cor, Clarus?”

“Needs to be longer Regis, after all I think it best that he's snuck into the place with no knowledge”

“Agreed, doctor can you sedate him for at least thirty-six hours?”

“Your Majesty, his condition right now...”

“I know, you can keep him here for the twenty-four hours and let me know if he's safe to release after that, and if he is Cor and Clarus will come by and pick him up, we need to keep him unconscious long enough to get to a specific location where he will find out he's under mandatory two weeks of rest”

The doctor thinks for a minute and then speaks up

“I can keep him sedated for forty-eight hours maximum your Majesty, that's the longest I feel safe with, and twenty-four of those being during the twenty-four hour watch I have him currently on”

“Understood, again let us know when he's cleared to leave and we'll take it from there”

“Just why do you need him unconscious for thirty-six hours anyways?”

“Where I want to take him can sometimes take up to two days to get to depending on various factors”

“Then you'll just have to figure something out if it takes longer than the sedatives”

“Understood”

Twenty-four hours later and Ignis is given the all clear to be discharged

“Now then, he'll be missing a couple of doses of antibiotics so as soon as he's awake and coherent let him know about the medication I have prescribed him and if he gets worse _call me_ ”

“Will do...wait how do you know Scientia won't be left alone to recuperate?”

“Because I know the King”

“Right, but the two of us won't be staying with him unfortunately”

“True, but you also know for a fact that there are others that the King will entrust Scientia to that know to call me if needed”

“Good point, well King Regis has us on a schedule that we must keep so we'll be going, just hand us his medications and we'll keep him and those safe”

“Right, when will Scientia find out about his vacation?”

“At the location he's being taken to”

“He's not going to be happy about that”

“No kidding, but he also can't ignore a Royal order”

“True”

Fortunately they get Ignis to the location before the sedatives wear off and when Ignis finally wakes up he is mildly confused at first since he was still dealing with what little sedatives were actually still in his system and the fact that quite frankly he was _exhausted_ due to his illness, but finally the person with him notices that he was actually coherent

“Ah you're awake, now then I have a few things to say to you Scientia”

“What?”

“First of all, you are taking these pills as recommended by the doctor to stave off pneumonia since your flu has apparently been doing it's best to turn into that for almost a week according to the Citadel doctor, the second is that I have a message for you from King Regis and this is word for word by the way 'you are hereby ordered to stay at this location for the next two weeks to rest and recuperate from your illness, you are also being cut off from the Citadel for your own good. Noctis will be told that you are safe at one of our locations but will not be told the exact location for the very reason that he will try and get into contact with you and you will push yourself too hard to get back into your duties if he does so' and by the way this is a Royal order so you're stuck here”

“Understood, are you here to make sure I stay put?”

“And to keep an eye on your health, especially while you were sedated and then still unconscious once the sedatives primarily wore off”

“I see, well then I think I should take an antibiotic now since I'm sure I've missed a couple of doses”

“Yes, but you're having lunch alongside the antibiotic since the instructions clearly say to be taken with food”

“Understood”

And so for the next two weeks Ignis rests and recovers his strength which he hadn't even realized had slowly been in decline due to his health, but the first full day when he decided to go for a run simply because of the fact that besides it being a routine he was feeling cooped up (that was mainly due to the fact that though they didn't know it Ignis couldn't metabolize sedatives normally) and since he knew he was in a safe location he felt a light jog would help him unfortunately not even five minutes into the jog he was winded and his muscles were trembling with his efforts

“This...wasn't...a good...idea...definitely...not...a good...idea”

The person who was sent to watch over him had panicked when Ignis hadn't been in the house and went on a search and found Ignis still trying to catch his breath after ten minutes of simply standing there

“Come on Scientia, let's get you back to the house”

And so slowly Ignis is led back to the house

“I know you don't want to hear this, but you may not be back in shape by the time your leave is up”

“I know, I may not have actually contracted pneumonia but...I _do_ currently have damage due to pushing myself while ill”

“Exactly, and this is also why his Majesty forced you on a two week vacation Scientia, so that you can rest and start to recover your strength”

“I know...I think...I think I might need half days when I get back”

“Scientia...why have you been pushing yourself so hard lately?”

“I'm afraid I can't tell you”

“Fine”

And thus began Ignis' two weeks of recovery in earnest, with him slowly gaining his strength and being able to run almost at the point when he originally began training as a Crownsguard. Meanwhile back at the Citadel the day after Ignis was safely at the safe house and his two main people were returning Regis was looking at the papers and wondering what he was going to do about it, he also knew that Ignis' uncle was going to be getting involved sooner rather than later since in two days there was a standard meeting between the three of them to coordinate certain schedules for the next week

“Well, this complicates things”

Suddenly the door is knocked on and he allows entry and sees Cor and Clarus

“Hi, so how'd it go?”

“Ignis is at the location Regis and is being looked after, for now we have work to do regarding that list and trying to find out how long this has been going on”

“We have an even bigger problem, two days from now Ignis' uncle is coming for the weekly meeting between the three of us”

“And his nephew being absent will raise flags big time”

“Indeed, so what do you think we should do?”

“Summon him here your Majesty, he deserves to find out before rumors spread, plus he might be able to help us figure out how to handle all of this without getting Ignis involved or even him finding out what we're doing in his stead”

Regis thinks for a minute and then makes a decision

“No, he won't find out until the meeting, we need to get started on this list and that's going to take time, a lot of it from what I am understanding just by looking at the duties he's been assigned”

“But he might be able to help us”

“True, but for now he is to stay out of this”

“Yes sir”

Two days later and the standard meeting begins normally but finally Ignis' uncle speaks up

“Where is my nephew your Majesty?”

“Calm yourself, he's safe at a vacation house of my choosing for a little bit, he's overworked and sick and I felt it was better for him to get away from the Citadel to ensure his recovery, or at least the beginning of his recovery since being at the Citadel isn't helping and being at his apartment won't help either this time around”

The meeting ends and Regis continues to do what was on the list himself, or if he absolutely couldn't has Cor or Clarus do it, and then another two days pass and Ignis' uncle comes barging in on a meeting between the Marshal and Regis

“Your Majesty!!!”

Cor speaks quickly and yet silently to Regis

“Uh-oh, I think he found out somehow”

“Agreed”

Regis faces Ignis' uncle and speaks calmly

“Yes?”

“How long were you planning on keeping my nephew's coercion from me?”

“I was actually hoping you would never find out, but since you did I guess you can help us regarding this list that Lentano gave Ignis”

“Lentano...I see...”

Cor grabs Ignis' uncle before he can leave the office

“Don't you dare, Ignis won't appreciate you interfering in his life, as it is his Majesty is going to be doing his best to keep Ignis out of this so that there's no retaliation on Lentano's part, which _will_ happen if you confront him”

Ignis' uncle sighs and goes into a defeated slump and Cor knew him well enough to know that he would obey

“Fine, but is there anything I can do to help?”

“Yes actually, these are the tasks that still need doing”

Ignis' uncle is given the list and with a nod he starts getting to work

“Well, I think that we're going to be backing off from those tasks now that Ignis' uncle has taken over”

“Indeed, but we still need to keep an eye on things just as a precaution”

“Understood”

Over the next two weeks Ignis' uncle took care of several of the items on the list but unfortunately he also had to let Regis continue his work also since there were certain things only the King could take care of, but finally the two weeks of Ignis' convalescence was up and the news was that he was going to have to take it easy for a little bit longer but he was medically cleared for light duties

“What went wrong?”

“Nothing your Majesty, at least nothing you could have prevented, it turns out that while the antibiotics worked in helping stave off a serious case of pneumonia, I didn't catch him quite in time to stave off pneumonia completely, as such he's still dealing with the pneumonia and the idiot tried to get back into his training regimen the day after he arrived at his rest house, he says he's back up to when he started Crownsguard training in regards to strength and stamina, I'm not so sure about that but I'll take his word until he can be evaluated”

“Understood, we'll make sure he doesn't overdo things while he's completing his recovery from everything”

_Present_


	13. Chapter 13

“You pretty much know what happened after that”

“True, but...you didn't tell me you were on restrictions Specs”

“That's because of the fact that it didn't affect you Noct”

“Oh really?”

“Think about that time period and you'll realize I am telling you the truth”

Noctis does think back and realizes that Ignis was telling the truth, all of them while training regularly had different training schedules during his final recovery period purely because of their duties

“Okay, you win your argument”

“We're just lucky none of the rest of us caught your flu”

“Agreed Gladio, how _that_ was avoided I have no idea, especially because of the fact that I didn't exactly know I had the flu, for the longest time I thought I simply had a nasty cold that wasn't easing up as quickly as normal”

Regis speaks up

“Oh I have my ways”

“Dad?...”

“Sorry Noctis, but I'm not talking unless it becomes necessary”

“Fine”

And so time passes and soon enough the one year anniversary of the four time traveling back to the past came

“So...a year huh?”

“Yeah, it's been a year since that first chaotic day”

“You know, it's amazing how far we've come since that day, in fact it's amazing how far we've come in the past six months”

“Therapy has definitely helped us, now that we're being honest with each other and our therapist I think we're actually healing”

“We'll always have PTSD according to them but our episodes will most likely lessen in severity and frequency the longer we spend in therapy and the further away from our trauma we are”

“Hm...I don't think they're quite accurate considering our _particular_ trauma and the fact that we're going to have to go through it again but it will be nice if once we get to that point in the timeline things are indeed less severe”

“In any case, here's to a year of being back and doing okay all things considered”

“Hear, hear”

The four toast to the year with the three that knew the truth observing as a precaution because they had been warned that the one year anniversary might be...rough for them in various ways, especially because the majority of their numbers were being given alcohol even though they were technically underage for the current timeline but totally legal in reality (the three non time travelers agreed that time travel was confusing, especially when it was more mental time travel than physical) a few minutes later Regis speaks up

“Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladio, I need you four to listen to me”

The four immediately stop drinking and Regis could tell that they weren't drunk enough to not understand what he was saying the next day

“I know that the four of you are talking with your therapist regularly both together and separately, and that you're sharing everything you were holding back before, I also know that you'll always have at least a mild case of PTSD, there's no avoiding it after what you four have been through, three of you more than the fourth but...there was no other way unfortunately. I have decided that if you so wish, the four of you can head to Galdin Quay for a couple of days as a test for how far you've gotten in your therapy, now then there _will_ be Crownsguard and Kingsglaive members in the city to keep an eye on you four and your reactions, but if you pass this test, I _may_ allow you four to plan the next major event of the city”

“The fall festivities”

“Exactly”

“We'll take that challenge dad, and win”

“I hope you do”

“Wait, we need to clarify exactly what winning means considering we have PTSD”

“Unless there's a legitimate attack no bringing out weapons at sounds that are similar to what you four heard for the longest time, everything else up to bringing yourself to hand combat readiness is allowed”

“Um...when you say bringing out weapons and hand combat that needs further clarification your Majesty”

“Very well Gladiolus, if any of you access Noct's Armiger you lose the bet, if something happens and you find improvised weapons that is allowed”

“Understood”

And so they head to Galdin Quay the next day and know from Regis that they were to be given two weeks, though part of that was because of the fact that Cid was going with them part of the way and thus that would add to their journey time. Finally though they reached Galdin Quay and for the first few days everything was fine with one  _very_ minor incident of a car backfiring and all four of them diving for cover and surprisingly each find an improvised weapon at their locations, but after a moment and Gladio for Noctis and Ignis for Prompto taking a quick look from cover they realized what had happened and all four of them relaxed

“Well, we haven't failed the test so far at least”

“Agreed, hopefully though the rest of our time here is peaceful”

Sadly Ignis' hopes were in vain, the day before they were to leave Galdin Quay an attack by Niflheim came, and it was sudden and unexpected since none of the four remembered hearing about this in the original timeline, and it nearly a complete surprise attack on the group too, only Ignis' superb hearing after spending a decade blind and keeping up his training let them all know of trouble before they were sniped

“Airships inbound!”  


The group looks up to see the airships, summons their weapons and manages to doge weapons fire just in time. The group did well against the enemy considering they'd had a small break from fighting against them, but then again they had fought against them for so long they knew the tactics of the enemy, and the few Crownsguard and Kingsglaive members that were also there helped out too, Noctis had a mild panic attack when he suddenly felt Ignis being cut off from access to his Armiger but seeing him continue fighting let him know that Ignis was okay, annoyed that he had no access to any of his other weapons or potions himself but he was still doing fine, what no one noticed was that they were getting  _real_ close to the docks and then the enemy hit Ignis in a vital spot (but  _not_ immediately fatal) and dumped him into the water 

“IGNIS!!!!”  


Noctis' cry let Prompto and Gladio know that things had gone  _wrong_ and all three of them fought with renewed vigor, but eventually the enemy left and Noctis, Prompto and Gladio were forced to leave as well with the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive that were also there, one of the Guard members drives the three back to Insomnia, picking up Cid to drop him back off at home, during that trip all three time travelers begin the mourning process (barely, and all three of them knew that they would never truly get closure until Ignis' body had been recovered for burial) and are silent. When they finally reach Insomnia they immediately go to the throne room, go up the initial flight of stairs and kneel before their King and Noctis is the one who speaks up

“Your Majesty, we come bearing sad news”

“We hear and await your report”

“We...we regret to report that Ignis Scientia is missing after a fight with Niflheim soldiers in Galdin Quay, we were unfortunately unable to rescue him from the water but believe that he is alive due to knowing of his skills in the water”

“I see, I will report to the Council tomorrow about the declaration of Ignis Scientia being missing, you are dismissed”

Noctis and Gladio stand but Prompto remains kneeling and as such Regis speaks up again

“Is there something further you have to report Prompto Argentum?”

“King Regis, I Prompto Argentum wish here and now to take my official vows as a Crownsguard member, I know that it wouldn't have changed anything at Galdin Quay and I also know that my vows are traditionally made in public, but I feel it only right that those who are my brothers are the only witnesses, I already lost one brother recently before taking my official vows, I don't want to risk losing another before then”

“Very well, We shall hear and accept your vows”

And so that's what's done, fifteen minutes later and Prompto is in his official Crownsguard uniform for the first time ever, though it's decided by everyone that he wouldn't wear the uniform in front of the Council quite yet

“When shall I wear it then?”

“Under one of two conditions, either when we find Ignis Scientia and give him a funeral, or after a full year has passed since his disappearance unless told otherwise for whatever reason”

“Understood sir, am I still allowed to attend the meetings though?”

“Indeed you are, as one of the Crownsguard you have more of a right than most to be there at any time whenever I or Noctis is there”

The group is officially dismissed and then Regis, Cor and Clarus go to Regis' office to talk

“So...what's the plan?”

“Considering it's already been a few days and Ignis has yet to get in contact with us it's not looking too good at the moment for his survival, but let's wait on declaring him presumed dead for at least four months, and even then we'll wait a little longer before officially declaring him dead”  


“How long is a little longer?”  


“Hm...I guess the one year anniversary is to be when he's legally declared dead, it will be hard for Prompto to wear his uniform on the same day that his friend and comrade is declared dead but it must be done”  


“Agreed, but in the meantime...how about we send out his description to Hunters, have them be on the lookout for him”  


“Good idea, but his name...”

“That is why we shall be using the cover name that the four gave us when they returned from their three month sabbatical”

“Very well, I shall get started on that right away”

“What about Ignis' uncle?”  
  
“Keep a guard on him at all times until further notice, I will not trust his mental state for quite some time and if there's an incident his watch time will be doubled”

“Agreed, secret or public guard?”

“Secret until he does something that forces them to act for his own safety, after that public guard and he'll know why too”

“Understood, by the way, do you even know _why_ those four chose those cover names?”  


“No idea, might ask them after...”  


“Yeah, after”


	14. Chapter 14

The next day Regis tells the Council about Ignis being declared missing and soon the three fall into a new sort of routine, when suddenly one day everything changes once again. Gladio, Noctis and Prompto were quickly dismissed from the day's meeting because they were clearly still struggling with the recent decision to declare Ignis as presumed dead, as for Ignis' uncle he wasn't even in the room having been ordered to take bereavement leave a week earlier that was to last at least a month (this was due to the fact that while Ignis had not been  _legally_ declared dead, nor had a body been found Ignis' uncle had already attempted suicide twice despite the fact that he knew about the guard after his first attempt, his second attempt was actually right in front of his one guards, add in the fact that bereavement leave was officially three months long due to an issue during Mors' time and it still gave Ignis' uncle two whole months of bereavement leave if officially needed). Eventually Regis knocked on Noctis' door and was allowed in

“Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, I have a question and I want you three to be honest with me, do you think it was too soon to declare Ignis as presumed dead?”

“Yes and no dad, I get why you did it, after all it's been four months since...since that day and there's been no sign of him, but I guess after everything we've been through, it will always seem like it's too soon”

“Not quite Noct, granted you weren't around for ten years and as such you weren't aware of the policy that was developed early on, you were declared missing within a month of not being heard from at all, not even sightings by civilians, you were declared presumed dead within a year, and within a year and a half you were legally dead, still hurt though no matter how much time passed, and a few of the ones declared dead turned out to be actually alive and not turned into a daemon, just cut off from everyone for a long time, one person actually came back from the dead three years after being legally dead, and I mean three years to the day, that was towards the end of the ten years but still...the celebration that happened that day...I'll never forget it”

“What about the others?”

“They came back within a couple of days of being legally declared dead, the longest time before the three years was two and a half months”

“I see”

Regis speaks up

“In any case I should let you know that while he's being presumed dead he won't be legally dead for a while longer, I promise, after all...you four have gone through enough things that it's definitely harder to kill you four”

“Thanks dad...are you...are you having people keep a lookout for him?”

“Not directly no, but his description is out there and the people on tag patrol know about what happened and promised to spread the word to Hunters, the Hunters don't know that the people who came to them work for the Crown and they don't know the person we're looking for works for the Crown, and you three know why it has to be this ways”

“Yeah dad, we know”

“By the way, we're using the cover name the four of you agreed upon after you guys came back from your sabbatical when you first came back and graduated from high school”

“Oh, the incident at the town of the safe house we went to to just...heal as we so desperately needed”

“Exactly”

Another two months pass with no word from anyone about seeing or hearing from Ignis and the Council was starting to try and pressure Regis into declaring Ignis legally dead when suddenly the door opens and a Glaive enters the room

“Your majesty”

“Glaive Dranto, you know the rules”

“Yes sir but...”

The Glaive suddenly has his hand to his ear and is clearly switching frequencies for some reason and then simply sighs and says something that will temporarily confuse everyone in the room

“Are you certain?...I see...I'll tell them”

He looks directly at Regis

“There's someone here who demands to see you sir, I would normally announce their name, but they wish to announce themselves for...specific reasons that you will understand”

And so two minutes later a person is directly beside Dranto clearly being escorted by Libertus, and the person was cloaked, the only reason no one was taking up arms (meaning Cor, Regis, Clarus, Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, and Monica) was because the person was clearly unarmed and because of the escort, once the person was standing still Regis spoke, using _very_ specific words that were required and needed at the moment

“May We ask who disturbs this meeting without being announced to Us? We certainly need to know what has caused Our Glaives to forget protocol”

The person speaks up in a clearly disguised voice (which wasn't actually a disguise though they didn't know that initially)

“They have not forgotten protocol King Regis, indeed they are actually following protocol to the letter, or have you forgotten the protocols you yourself put into place whenever a code Crowned Sunburst is declared?”

Regis, Cor, and Clarus each suck in air which makes a hissing like sound and Regis once again spoke

“All but my son, his Shield, my Shield, the Marshal and Glaives and Crownsguard are to leave”

A council member then speaks up trying to sound important not knowing something even after nearly a year of it happening

“Come along then Argentum”

“Sorry sir, but my King has ordered me to stay, I am staying”

“Your...king has ordered you?”

“Indeed, after all I am a Crownsguard member and thus have been ordered to stay”

“King Regis...”

“His oath was not made public for reasons that are well known to Us”

“Understood sir”

Once the room was cleared Regis spoke up again and this time spoke normally

“Okay, who are you and why did you declare that particular code? I know for a fact that there are very few people who know what that code is supposed to mean”

“Because you taught me that code yourself the day I swore service to your son, granted I was only six years old and didn't fully understand why I would need to know the code, but once I became a member of the Crownsguard I understood quite clearly why such a code would be needed”

With that the person takes off the cloak and only training kept everyone from fainting because underneath the cloak was one Ignis Scientia, missing and presumed dead for six months to the day even if the presumed dead part was more recent, but what was more glaring was the various wounds he had, including one on his throat which explained his voice being raspy, soft, and almost completely unrecognizable in regards to words being spoken at times

“Crowe, get Ignis' uncle, I dismissed him not knowing who was underneath the cloak, though I should've suspected all things considered”

“No...I don't want him to see me, not yet”

“Ignis...”

“Sorry Noct, but first, I need my injuries healed plus...King Regis I am formally declaring myself as a partial security risk and demand that you take me into custody immediately after being medically cleared until your magic can be run through me and clear me completely, I may be an unwilling spy or more likely an assassin”

Three hours later and Ignis' voice is back to normal, but he was still in a special prison within the Citadel designed for assassins who _might_ have access to magic through Regis or some other way mainly through his own insistence because Regis _tried_ to put Ignis in a lower security cell

“Specs, how long must you remain here?”

“Until I am deemed safe Noct, that will have to happen once your father has actual time and energy to make sure I am not a danger to anyone”

“You've been gone six months, but with the way you look why do you question your loyalty and believe yourself to be an unwitting spy or assassin?”

“Because there are periods of time during these past six months that are a blank to me Noctis, until we can ascertain that those blank periods do not make me dangerous it is safest for both you and King Regis that I remain locked in a special cell that will allow me no access to magic”

“And your uncle still believing you dead?”

“Better for him to remain me as believed dead than to find out I'm alive only to be forced to witness my execution if I am a spy or assassin, you know full well that any council member who is informed of such situations, especially if it is a family member is required to attend the private execution”

“Fine, but I know you are not a danger to Lucis”

“Until your father can prove it I say I am”

Three days later and Ignis was cleared of all suspicion of being an unwitting spy or assassin, it turned out his blank periods were combinations of mild concussions that caused him to pass out for a day or two because of what he gave himself to help heal his injuries (he didn't access Noctis' Armiger which would have let them know he was alive for the main reason that he had been cut off from it in the middle of the incident that caused him to go missing in the first place) and the fact that before he escaped his situation he had been drugged unconscious and kept that ways for short periods of time

“You're clean Ignis, shall I call for your uncle and allow you two a private reunion?”

“Yes please”

And so fifteen minutes later in the main throne room Ignis and his uncle were reunited, and then both disappeared (meaning Regis gave them fifteen minutes to themselves and then had Cor secret the both of them away to a hidden location) for three days and then the next Council meeting began and a council member asked where Ignis' uncle was

“He shall be here soon, I deliberately asked him to be a few minutes late to today's meeting so that he could take care of something for me”

Fifteen minutes later just as coordinated Ignis' uncle enters the room

“Your majesty, I have taken care of the business you requested of me, apologies if I took longer than expected, but...the situation was a little more complicated than normal”

“No matter, the matter was important, now then I do believe that we are missing someone”

“Ah, they are waiting sire, shall I introduce them?”

“Indeed you shall”

“Then esteemed council members, may I introduce, or should I say reintroduce Ignis Scientia adviser to Prince Noctis”

And with that Ignis enters the room, gives a bow to Regis and then takes his rightful place in the meeting seeing as how Noctis was unavailable to attend that day, though not before he and Regis go through a formality that was required by tradition if nothing else

“My apologies King Regis for being so late to the council meeting, I shall submit to whatever punishment you desire for dereliction of duty for the past six months and six days”

“We shall decide that at a later date, however We do require that during this meeting you explain where you have been for the past six months, We shall allow the six days to be considered on duty since We know that you have been dealing with required paperwork regarding getting you declared alive again to institutions that have believed you dead for these past six months while We have held out hope for your survival, and part of that paperwork was paperwork that We required to allow you your security clearance to be given back”

The council was unaware of the fact that this would be the second time Ignis would be telling the story since the first day after his return was spent doing _major_ debriefing as part of the process to try and determine if Ignis was a deliberate threat. Ignis of course knew that the council would have to be told what happened to him over the past six months which would normally mean being interrogated by the King in front of them but everyone had gotten the story straight during the three days Ignis and his uncle spent just being together again

“Yes sir, after the main issues are taken care of”

“Understood, We shall tell you what you have missed later, but for now here's the agenda for today”

And so both Ignis and his uncle are given the agenda and for the next hour and a half that's what was discussed but finally one of the council members decided it was time to get down to business

“Ignis Scientia, you've been missing for six months and presumed dead for two of those months”

“I know, and I will explain what I remember, however due to a few concussions and what I used to treat injuries there are parts of my memory that are spotty at best, the King has proven I am loyal however”

And so Ignis tells what was mostly the same thing he told Regis and the others, just with a few details edited so that there wasn't more suspicion than already noticed due to prolonged absence and with that the meeting was over with and Ignis could go back to his normal life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why blood work wasn't used to confirm Ignis' identity in this story and yet was used in the other story was because of the fact that while they could have used blood work to confirm it was Ignis in this story the code phrased used here did not only mean a missing soldier thought to be dead has come home but it is someone who knows that they have probably been thought dead and that they have more to say in regards to the situation surrounding their circumstances. Ignis knew that the fight meant he would have been thought dead and the fact that he was unconscious in enemy hands meant that he knew they could have done something to secretly get control over him at any time


	15. Chapter 15

“So, five and a half months of trying to get home and you never saw the notice signs?”

“No not really, I avoided civilization whenever possible, when it was _not_ possible I stayed as short as possible, so...my uncle hasn't really told me much about the past six months, just said that you apparently put a guard on him King Regis”

“Yes, I was worried about him once he found out about your death, and the fact that he attempted suicide twice on us, once without him knowing about the guard and once with the guard right in front of him being forced to watch him try and kill himself, validates my decision”

“I see,so what name did you use anyways?”

“The cover name you gave us after your three month vacation”

“Understood, I believe that was a good idea though since I avoided civilization as much as possible I didn't see anything or I would have known to contact you using said name, or allowed myself to be known to the Hunters”

“In any case, you did what you had to to survive, now then you're still recovering according to the doctor so you're going to be on light duties until further notice, but I hope to see you on full duty again soon, in the meantime all four of you are not to train today, you're simply to spend the time catching up with each other”

And so the four head to Noct's apartment where they initially play a couple of video games before Noct speaks up

“So...I know a way to train without training”

“Wait what?”

“Yeah, the Astrals taught it to me right before being sent back as a precaution where if I was in a situation where it couldn't be known I was training I could still train without suspicions”

“Oh, by the way Prompto, you didn't have to officially become a Crownsguard right after you lost me you know”

“Well I know that the future isn't set anymore, though certain things are, I just...I didn't want to waste any more time when I could have lost Noct and Gladio too, I wanted them at least to see me being sworn in as a Crownsguard, I knew nothing would most likely have changed the outcome of Galdin but it was simply something I felt had to be done”

“I understand Prompto, but I didn't see you in uniform today”

“Yeah, two different circumstances were told to me, either your...your funeral or a year after your disappearance, granted I most likely will receive orders otherwise seeing as how you're alive, but we'll see in a little bit”

“Indeed, and except in specific formal events you won't be wearing the official uniform often”

“Yeah, would have yesterday because of...things but because of orders I didn't”

“I see...wait, you'll officially wear your uniform soon then if you receive those orders”

“Yeah, you're going to officially be reintroduced to Lucis as alive _and_ it's also the fall festivities, dad kept his word Iggy, Prompto, Gladio and I made the majority of the plans anyways, there were a few things that we let dad and the others take care of, but only because they were things that we ourselves weren't sure what to do about”

“Ah yes, I remember the last time a Guard and Glaive _both_ went missing and was presumed dead, though there wasn't a festival at the time of their return announcement”

“True, but it was still a huge event all things considered”

“Now then, about the training that doesn't look like training, are you sure you want to go against your father's orders Noct?”

“Yes Gladio, I do, this is because quite frankly while I get what dad's trying to do we _need_ to train, we need to get back into a sort of normal routine”

“No Noct, not today”

“Specs?”

“I know that getting back into routine is helpful, and I had a wonderful few days with my uncle, but now I simply want to relax with you three and not think about anything but maybe what we're going to do next on our rare day off and what to order for take out”

“Okay Iggy, we'll simply relax today”

And so that's what they do. Two weeks later and it was time for the fall festival to begin, it was a three day festival that officially recognized the beginning of harvest season and thanking everyone for the food that would supply the people through the winter which could be harsh, Ignis was currently hidden away as per tradition and necessity, as it was very, very few people even knew Ignis was alive in the Guard and Glaives as well

“So...how are we going to do this?”

“ _You_ are going to be at the festival in civvies Iggy, at least for now, dad said that the speech isn't to be until tonight, the opening ceremony is going to be quick so that the people have the day to enjoy the festivities of the first day”

“Why wait so long?”

“You'll...you'll see Specs”

Ignis soon found out what Noctis hadn't said, the people were subdued, sullen and just not as jovial as normal, and it was partly on account of his own presumed death and the fact that while things weren't quite as bad as when they left Insomnia to head to Altissia for the false wedding there were still skirmishes and one had recently happened and there had been deaths. Now then no one knew that he was the one there seeing as how he was currently in disguise, though one that could be taken off quickly, but the people could tell that he was out of touch with the world of the city, possibly a visitor who hadn't heard the news lately for whatever reason and as such told him some of what he already knew and some of what he wasn't aware of seeing as how his uncle hadn't fully debriefed him. The festivities perked them up ever so slightly, but he could tell that they were still mostly subdued and he also knew that what would happen that night would perk them up even more, and then someone spoke to him

“So, how long are you planning on staying stranger?”

“Hm...not sure yet”

“Well, I hope you stay for the festival at least, it's...it's a lot livelier normally, it's just been a bad period for us is all”

“I understand”

And so Ignis subtly goes through the crowds and simply enjoys the day, but finally he knew it was getting time for the reveal and so left and quickly got out of his disguise, though he didn't change into his uniform quite yet since he _still_ hadn't been revealed as being alive

“So, here's the plan, dad will make a speech about how the festivities will last for two more days and what tomorrow's plans are for in regards to the festival, and then he'll announce that he has recently come upon good news for the city that he wished to share and that's when you'll come out and reveal yourself”

“Understood, Noct, just how many people in the Guard and Glaive know about me?”

“Um...basically only those that were there when you revealed yourself the day you returned and took off your cloak, dad immediately ordered everyone to silence by the way and that order hasn't been lifted so...yeah”

“Right, a lot of people are going to be shocked then tonight”

“Yeah, but there's not much we can do about it, you know full well why it has to be this way”

“I do indeed”

And so Ignis stands in a specific location hearing Regis give his standard speech about how long the festivities will last, why it's that long and about what was planned for the next day and then finally Ignis knew that it was time for him to reveal himself

“...there is one more bit of news today that I would like to share with you, it's good news as well. I have been keeping this news a secret for some time for reasons that will be self explanatory once the news is revealed, but for now I have a wish, that you give everyone involved in the news time and space, Ignis Scientia would you please come up here?”

And so Ignis reveals himself to the city at large and the comment about time and space suddenly made much more sense to everyone, depending on how long he'd been back Ignis would still need to get his bearings regarding the city, get caught up on official news and simply need time to adjust back to being home

“He's been home just under three weeks, but he still needs time to adjust back to a city that has changed since he went missing thus why I haven't said anything until now, that and the fact that the city needed something joyous for once and I felt that the festival was a good place for good news”

The rest of the festival was much more upbeat with the news that Ignis was alive and soon enough it was over, and just as requested by Regis the group allowed the core group time to adjust (which they had been doing but PTSD made it hard for them to be apart from Ignis) and the Guard and Glaives were also adjusting to the news that Ignis was alive and Dustin said as much

“It's...it's hard to believe you're alive Scientia”

“I know, and I'm sorry for making you believe I was dead, that was never my intentions”

“We know”

Eventually the festival ended and lives returned to normal, as for the four time travelers they got back to a sense of normality as well, training continued and Prompto was outed as a Crownsguard member at the festival since he had been ordered to attend in his official uniform

“So, what's the agenda for today?”

“Meetings and then training instead of training and then meetings”

“Let's get to it today, oh by the way I'm not going to be in the room and neither is Gladio”

“What for Prompto?”

“Clarus said something about a different duty than normal”

“Got it”

Prompto would discover that the duty that he and Gladio had was a very unique, very special type of duty, it was an honor guard that was not done often, and those who were selected for the honor guard were older members whose loyalty had been proven without a doubt and were routinely given the duty

“Wait so we're...”

“Yes, for today at least you are”

“Thanks dad, we...I knew about this duty but I never thought I would be chosen for it”

“I agree that it's rare others get chosen for this duty but it was necessary this time and Regis felt that you and Prompto earned this right, even though Prompto hasn't _officially_ been known as a Crownsguard member for very long”

And so the day was long but finally they got to the training and while Ignis and Noctis were obviously curious about what duty they had been assigned to they didn't ask, almost as if there was a silent understanding that one or more of the group was assigned a mission that they weren't given details about before the actual assignment then it was off limits in regards to questions after the assignment was completed

“So, in regards to the meeting what did we miss?”

The two are updated and then training with just the four of them commences seeing as how Regis, Cor, and Clarus were all too busy to do the training that day, then again the three that knew the secret had been backing off lately in regards to actively taking part in training though the four time travelers didn't know why. What they _didn't_ know was that the three that were trusted with the secret were making special plans in regards to testing the four of them, but they were also waiting until after the two year anniversary, and part of the test was to see if they would even notice that it had been two years since they had returned to the past

“So...the test that we've planned”

“If they notice it we'll decide based on how they act on the anniversary, if they don't notice it we'll follow through with our plans with no interruptions”

“Agreed, how Scientia been adjusting anyways?”

“Pretty good from what I can tell, his PTSD has flared up again but...”

“It was to be expected”

“Exactly”

“Well now, I guess all we can do now is wait for six months”

“Less than six months, but yeah”

“Still...are you certain this is a good idea Regis?”

“What is it Cor? I thought you were in full agreement last time I checked”

“I was, and testing them is a good idea, but...I now have reservations regarding the timing and the plan in general in regards to what the test is”

“We have to make sure Cor, I know that they have a tight bond considering what they've told us but I need to make sure for myself that no matter what they can handle what's in their future”

“I assume then I am outvoted in my concerns”

“Yes, this time you are, I have my reasons Cor in timing the test as I have”

“Fine, by the way what has the group thought about the Drautos issue?”

“Very, very annoyed at the moment that we have yet to find a reason to arrest him and any other potential traitors within the Glaives”

“You know, that's getting annoying to me too seeing as how we _know_ those four are telling us the truth and yet there isn't anything we can do about something so critical”

“I know, now then what else, _besides_ the upcoming test do we need to talk about?”

“Their plans to take care of something that they took care of in the future before too many people die”

“Oh yes, that Hunt”

“Yeah, it's around the same time as when it's been about two and a half years since they came back in time”

“You're going with them Cor, even if they pass the test”

“Sir?”

“I have my reasons for this Cor, just obey orders understood?”

“Yes sir”

“Still, I wonder what they're going to think about the test”

“Who knows...I just hope Ignis doesn't hurt anyone too badly when he goes into action”

“What are you talking about?”

“Blinding him temporarily”

“Ah, yes that would do it”

“Indeed it would”

“In any case for now all we can do is wait for the time to come for the test”

“Yes”

Time passed slowly for the three that only knew about the future but hadn't lived it, for the four that had lived through a bad future time passed more quickly, but they still remembered important dates, and acknowledged that it had been two years since they had come back from the future

“So...two years since that day huh? I think it's safe to say that quite frankly I thought things would be worse for us in regards to our PTSD”

“Yeah, Iggy had a rough time initially after his return from being thought dead but he would tell us if something was up right?”

“Indeed, though I also know for a fact that the four of you have had episodes semi-recently haven't you?”

“Yeah, but not as severe as when you had your setback”

“Still, think we should start training for what's coming up in six months”

“Good point, we'll stop things before...”

“Yeah, before”

“Think we can get Dave involved?”

“Um...no, no, let me think, and definitely not”

“What is it Specs?”

“This Hunt...you know about the losses that were incurred on this Hunt but you don't know _why_ the groups were as big as they were” (more quietly but still heard) “or why Dave took this Hunt so personally when we offered to join to help make up the numbers required”

Gladio suddenly speaks up

“Wait, Iggy, are you saying that _this_ Hunt that we're planning is the Hunt that...”

“Yes Gladio it is indeed _that_ Hunt”

“Oh man...oh man I never dreamed that...if we succeed....”

“Indeed Prompto”

Noctis interrupts

“Uh, guys what are you talking about?”

“Right, you were in the Crystal at the time so you wouldn't know, at least you wouldn't know the full story”

Ignis sighs a deep heavy sigh

“You know that Dave is an experienced Hunter, you also know that for this particular Hunt we're preparing for he made the rules quite clear that this Hunt was only to be allowed if a minimum of nine people agreed to take on the Hunt together, and the experience level was to be quite high as well, the Marshal vouched for the four of us and I later learned that Dave...knew you were Prince Noctis and that we were your retinue, how he found out I'm not entirely sure and we may never know since we couldn't confront the Marshal. In any case during the years of darkness we were talking about our adventures when that particular Hunt came up and that's when we learned something that had been kept from all the groups that had undertaken that Hunt, not because it wasn't important but because of the fact that it was simply too painful for Dave to talk about, even years later. It turns out that the first group to try and take down the target had Dave in it, the group was slaughtered with Dave the only survivor and it took him _months_ to heal. After that incident he decided that there would be ground rules for certain Hunts and that Hunt had some of the more stringent rules attached, and in fact was the only Hunt that had a minimum group requirement”

“And it took a lot of time between Hunts for the requirements to be met”

“Exactly, there's more regarding the Hunt we're going to go on soon, it's the whole reason behind the minimum group number, when...when Dave went on that Hunt he was one of fifteen people who came together for the Hunt, this was primarily due to the size of the Hunt as you full well recall just how big that opponent was, that means that due to the fact that Dave was the only survivor out of fifteen people fourteen lost their lives”

“And he's insisted on being part of that Hunt every time because of his experiences, did you...did you find out how he even survived?”

“No, and he didn't know how he survived either”

“Maybe...maybe we can take care of it before the original start date of the Hunt”

“We'll see, in the meantime though, how about we simply spend the night relaxing, we've been training in extremes lately being uneasy with the routine change”

And so that's exactly what they do not knowing that they were being watched


	16. Chapter 16

“So...observe them tomorrow and make our decision based on that?”

“Agreed, when they tell us their going on the Hunt of theirs we tell them Cor's getting involved, and I'll tell you why I want you involved when I tell them Cor”

“Fine”

The next day it was obvious that while they had acknowledged the fact that it had been two years since they had come back from the future it wasn't affecting them too much

“Well?”

“Tonight, and I think we won't warn the guards about Ignis' fighting skills”

“But...”

“This is primarily a test for the four of them, but I think the Glaives and Guard should have a lesson as well about underestimating an enemy they think is weakened by a disability”

“Hm...you have a point actually, none of them knows that Scientia can fight blind, all of those sessions have been in private, and we _really_ should tell the group why we distanced ourselves once the test is over with”

“Agreed, they're definitely confused, but doing better about it than if otherwise”

“So I just thought of something, what's going to happen in about a year and a half?”

“We'll come to that when it happens, if Drautos is still involved by then we'll make sure that the damage is as minimal as possible, in the meantime I think it's time I let the Council know that the evacuation plans are not just a passing fancy but being made _mandatory_ , something that should have been done a long time ago if I were to be honest with myself”

“Very well, so shall I gather the Guard while you gather the Glaives?”

“Yes, and don't worry no one will know about the time travel instead I will simply say that I want to see if my son and his companions are ready to suddenly be abducted due to their association with the Crown”

“Good excuse, and a very valid one too, when was the last time a test like that had been done on them anyways?”

“Not involving the three of us in the know? I think it was Noct's freshman year”

“Good point, time for a refresher for everyone then”

And so the Guard and Glaives were gathered and told about the fact that they were to test the four time travelers to make sure that their skills were up to par

“Sir, is it necessary seeing as how Prince Noctis graduated from school early and Prompto Argentum is a known Crownsguard member?”

“Yes, those four are seen together frequently and the fact that Noctis _is_ Prince and still living on his own despite graduating early...”

“Means that this test is needed”

“Exactly, who knows what someone who finds his address might do to any one of them”

“Fine, what's the plan?”

“You're to blind Scientia from the start, preferably he's to wake up blinded, but it is _not_ to be a permanent thing, the blinding is to be temporary only, as for the others...do what you feel like in disabling them also temporarily, the rest of the planning is up to you including when you strike”

“Then I suggest you leave your Majesty seeing as how this is the only place big enough for all of us to meet and make plans”

“Very well I leave it to you”

And so the group makes their plans and waits until _early_ the next morning, they struck at one am deliberately and executed their plans for blinding Ignis, deafening Noctis, tightly bound Gladio in three different bindings including a magical binding and for Prompto, they gagged him and made sure he didn't have access to the gun that they _knew_ was close by at all times (they were unaware of the Armiger). The four teams _thought_ it would all be easy, but they underestimated each one of the time travelers, all four of them put up a fight, even Gladio bound as he was managed to actually temporarily break the bindings and get in a hit, as for Ignis when Ignis was suddenly grabbed he opened his eyes only to find himself blind once more, he thought that the enemy would think him easier to deal with being blind, either temporarily or permanently

(Thinks) “ _So they think blinding me will work to their advantage, well then they're sorely mistaken on that part, time for them to learn what someone who used to be blind for ten years can do_ ”

And so Ignis _fought_ and he knew he was having some success too with what he was hearing

“Ow!, he got my eye”

(Slightly unintelligibly) “my nose, he broke my nose”

“Someone take him out, he's not a weak link at all”

Suddenly Ignis feels something in his neck and before he passes out he hears someone say something in relief

“Finally got the tranquilizer in him, took more than I thought it would though”

When Ignis woke up again he found himself chained in a cell, with Prompto, Gladio and Noctis also in the cell and chained up as well, they were also very much unconscious

“Gladio, Prompto, Noctis, Burstshell!”

The effect was immediate seeing as how all four of them had trained themselves during their travels to react to various situations and codes, Gladio, Prompto and Ignis may have had more codes they were trained to in the ten years of darkness but all of them remembered the codes they had learned and practiced during their travels after the fall of Insomnia before Noctis wound up in the crystal. The four quickly learned about their chains

“Oh great, Specs, you know what happened?”

“Not entirely your Highness, last thing I remember was being in a fight before they drugged me, though I do know I managed to get in a few good hits that the enemy wasn't expecting seeing as how they blinded me temporarily”

“Probably thought that would make you useless, lesson learned the hard way I'm guessing”

“Hey Noct, were you bound?”

“Not...exactly, I don't remember much of what happened before waking up here, but I think I was in a fight, talk more later though”

“Right, so Iggy they thought you useless when blinded huh? I wonder if they'll learn their lesson”

“Indeed, now I don't know what they'll do to me should they decide to separate us”

“We'll figure things out Iggy I promise”

“No Noct, if...if it comes down to it I want you to abandon me”

“Specs!!”

“No, _listen_ to me Noctis, you are the Prince of Lucis, your safety must always be a priority”

“I...I understand, if...if I must I will abandon you Ignis”

Gladio then speaks up

“The same goes for me Noctis, if at some point either here or during an escape I fall you are to abandon me and continue the journey on your own, hopefully using the lessons I thought you myself”

And then Prompto speaks up

“Agreed, especially if...well you guys know”

“Yeah...yeah I know, very well if need be I will...I will do what I hope I never have to do and abandon you three and make my way back to Insomnia”

They weren't sure if there were any cameras or microphones but if there were they hoped that no one had caught the subtle hand movements that had accompanied the conversation, the signs that they had used to communicate their _true_ intentions

*When separated I'll create a distraction, doing my best to take them down all at once, but if not, I'll make sure that the three of you escape*

*Okay, let dad know location?*

*Yes, and don't forget special tracker as well*

*Same here, I'll stay behind with Iggy if given the signal, otherwise I'll be the shield I'm supposed to be but I'm not going all the way to Insomnia*

*Precautionary measure*

*Exactly*

*I'll stay with Noct then until we get back and let them know of any injuries I know and be part of rescue team, Noct you know it's not possible for you*

*I know, letting Cor, dad and Clarus know what I can when reunited, staying put at Citadel, rendezvous at secret location once cleared?*

*Yes, especially if not all return, need to make new plans in that case*

*Right, whoever survives does what they can to change the future when the time comes*

*What about the chains?*

*I'll take care of those*

And so as soon as someone comes in they enact the plan they had thought of, with Ignis managing to get the other three unshackled and then staying behind as promised, as for the other three Gladio had been given the signal to go as far as he could or felt was safe enough and then he remained behind, or at least that was the plan, but as soon as Gladio, Prompto and Noctis escaped their location they discovered a _really_ huge problem of confusion

“Um...what's going on Noct?”

“I have absolutely no idea, Gladio confirm with me that I'm not seeing this”

“You're not”

“Okay, then we are indeed in Insomnia”

“Yeah”

The three look at each other and then _run_ to the nearest street to get their bearings

“Okay I see the Citadel”

“Yeah, think we can make it?”

“Oh yeah”

“Then let's go”

And so the group uses various paths but finally they reach the Citadel and see Regis, Cor and Clarus waiting for them on the steps and Noctis is the first to speak up

“Dad! I need you to gather the Glaives, Ignis...”

Regis holds up a hand

“Will be brought back here soon safe and sound, he's alright Noctis, all of you are safe, you were never in any real danger I promise”

“Wait, what?”

“I'll explain once Ignis arrives, he should be arriving here within the hour”

An hour later and Ignis arrives at the Citadel unharmed but confused and then the four time travelers were debriefed on the fact that the entire scenario was a test for the four of them

“A...test?”

“Yes, I know that you four are strong enough to take care of yourselves in any situation theoretically, but my heart still wanted to make sure you were ready for the upcoming journey that you must take”

“So...did we pass the test?”

“This time yes, there may be other tests though that you might fail”

“We know dad, but...we're as prepared as we're ever going to be for the fall of Insomnia, you've gotten the evacuation plans all set and drills are being run right?”

“Not...entirely Noctis”

“Dad?”

“The Council, they're pushing back in regards to your plans, the four of you know just how important this is, according to you while there were survivors many more could have evacuated had these plans been in place correct?”

“Yeah, the main section of the city was destroyed since that's where the Citadel is located but...”

“Casualties still happened”

“Exactly”

“I'll get it done no matter what, now then since today was an unannounced test you have the rest of today and all of tomorrow off if you can manage it, but definitely the rest of today”

“Understood”

The group does what they usually do in those situations and heads to Noct's apartment to wind down and simply talk about the day, especially the fact that it was a surprise test


	17. Chapter 17

“So...who had what happen to them?”

“They bound me quite tightly three different ways including one way being magical, still got in a few hits”

“They deafened me, also drugged me back unconscious pretty quickly but I think I managed to get in a few hits too”

“They gagged me, cut me off from my magic unintentionally I think, and made sure I couldn't access the gun I keep out of the Armiger next to my beside by binding me as well, think I got in a good kick or two”  
Ignis remains quiet and then Noctis speaks up

“Specs?”

“They thought I wasn't a threat when they blinded me, I...I don't know the full extent of what I managed to do but I do know that they were surprised at how good I fought without my sight”

“Today's debrief was incomplete, but dad said that a more thorough debriefing would be tomorrow, something about the fact that not everyone involved in the test was available for debriefing at the time”

“Ah, okay that make sense, still...how do you feel about the sudden testing?”

“In all honesty surprised it didn't happen sooner, think about it Specs, I'm the Crown Prince of Lucis, and I still live on my own, plus I haven't been tested since shortly after moving out in the first place, dad gave us some slack these past two years since we've been...adjusting to everything and you've been lost for a period of time as well, this is perfect timing on his part if I were to be honest with myself and dad”

The next day it was time for the full debriefing

“Now then, everyone now knows that what happened yesterday was a test for four of the group here, Noctis, Gladio, Prompto and Ignis managed to pass their test, as for the Guard and Glaive...while you didn't necessarily _fail_ , you also didn't do that great in the unannounced test, all four of them gave you guys injuries, while most of them were mild the team that abducted Ignis Scientia...you underestimated him severely, several broken bones, nearly being an amputee, internal injuries that would have been worse without Potions. And then when they were captured Scientia was underestimated again in regards to how loyal he is to his friends and just how...what did the report say?, oh yes it called his style a mixture of bar style brawling, Crownsguard training, and...oh yes plain and simple dirty fighting, I would just call him a scrapper of a fighter, as for the other three they escaped and you couldn't get past Scientia, and I'm willing to bet if you had you wouldn't have gotten past Amicitia due to plain exhaustion from the Scientia fight”

A Glaive speaks up

“Sir, just how is Scientia capable of fighting blind?”

“If he wishes to explain he can but otherwise leave him alone”

“Yes sir”

Ignis speaks up

“In regards to how I can fight blind I am not speaking, however in regards to what I did to everyone while being abducted and afterwords I apologize for the severity of the injuries I caused”

The rest of the debriefing went on to explain not only what went wrong for each group but also what went right for each group. And then everyone was dismissed but Noctis and co decided to stay behind

“What is it?”

“Dad, we need to talk”

“Okay”

“Look, there's...there's about six months before a Hunt that we want to take on before...well before it becomes an official Hunt”

“Ah yes, I remember the Hunt, I want Cor to join you for this one”

“What for?”

“You finish and then I'll do some explaining myself”

“Fine, we've decided that we're going to do the Hunt before it officially becomes a Hunt, a Hunt that takes too long and too many losses to succeed in”

“When?”

“Two months from now”

“Okay, the reason I want Cor to go with you is not _just_ because it would seem irresponsible of me to send very young people out unescorted but because you guys need teamwork for the future, especially if Cor actually survives this time past Altissia”

“Okay, I can agree with that, Cor you may be the Immortal, but you got killed doing something you weren't ready for as you heard us say, this Hunt...it is not _just_ so that we can observe your skills and see where you might need work, it is _also_ so that a comrade in the future doesn't go through something again, something he barely survived and yet...and yet was so determined to not see other suffer the same thing he volunteered for this Hunt every time the requirements were met, he won't remember the Hunt since we're in the past, but Gladio, Prompto and Ignis, remember for him”

“Wait, why don't you remember?”

“Because they heard the story during the ten years I was in the Crystal”

“And they recently told you the story that they themselves heard”

“Yeah, look guys the thing about our comrade...he's a Hunter who takes his duties seriously, but...he also has a side of him that you don't see often, and didn't come out a lot until the ten years of darkness”

“Gladio?”

“Sorry Noct, but...this is something that I'm not comfortable with, primarily because I wasn't the one who witnessed his hidden side the most, another member of our group did”

“Then who...”

“Me Noct, he took me in and helped me learn after...well after everything”

“Yeah, Gladio and I...we were there for Iggy, but maybe not as much as we should have been especially the first two years after...”

“After everything that had happened”

“Exactly”

“Well, Talcott told me that you four didn't work together often when he picked me up”

“Aranea helped me as well but our Hunter comrade was a bigger help those first two years”

“He took you on Hunts and helped you relearn alongside Aranea didn't he?”

“Yes he did, he was also the first one to actually trust that I could fight despite my blindness. He was gentle yet tough, he...he guided Iris and Talcott through the years even while Iris...well I'm sure Talcott told you what her nickname became. He took the losses even more personally then before during the ten years of darkness because he knew that there wasn't a thing he could do to protect anyone from anything too dangerous anymore. He also managed to organize the Hunters even further during those ten years so that the Glaives _could_ create codes with them with an ease that was earned”

Regis speaks up

“If I ever have the chance to meet him I will give him the respect he's earned without giving away your secrets, in the meantime give me an exact date when you have it and the five of you shall take care of a problem before it becomes a problem”

“Right” (turns to the other two that _knew_ the story in a way not even Noctis knew, and would certainly confuse the three that knew about the time travel) “for Dave?”

The other two nodded and said the same phrase at the same time

“For Dave”

Once the two who knew Dave in a way he didn't agreed with Ignis Noctis spoke up again

“For Dave indeed, and...for the three of you who were told the story he most likely had to force himself to tell even after all that time”

“Noct...”

“No, you three were doing your best to keep hope alive that you would survive until I came out of the Crystal, to hear that story...it had to of affected you three, now then about the date we're setting”

“Your place Noct, our arguments can get...loud if you recall”

“Right, that one argument...good thing it was at a Haven”

“Agreed”

“And it's a good thing your apartment is soundproofed princess”

“It's why the incident happened in the first place, the reason behind the testing”

“Good point, how they managed to get into the house is...no wait it's not beyond me now that I think about it”

“Clarus?”

“Yep, dad”

The group heads to Noct's apartment and it was indeed a fight about when to do the Hunt so that Dave would never face the loss that he had that day in the original timeline, and part of the argument was if Cor, Clarus and Regis would learn of the story or not so as to understand the history of the Hunt a little better, but the majority of the fighting was when in the next two months to take the Hunt down before it actually _became_ a Hunt but finally all discussions were over


	18. Chapter 18

“So...we're agreed then?”

“Yeah, we're agreed”

“So, we're telling dad tomorrow?”

“Yes, in regards to _both_ issues seeing as how we're agreed that they should know the full story behind the Hunt that we're taking on”

“Yeah, and I will get the full story for the first time myself, you guys just gave me a very brief update in my opinion”

“With reason, we wanted to make sure that no one else needed to know before giving you the full story behind how we learned about Dave and this Hunt”

“Makes sense”

The next day the four had an audience with the three who had helped them since they had come back from the future

“We await word on what you have decided in regards to Our Marshal”

“We have decided that in one and a half months we shall be undergoing the Hunt that we have talked about before, we have also decided that the three of you are going to be hearing the full story behind the Hunt, now then the majority of the speaking will be done by my retainers, but I will also be telling the story in regards to what I know personally”

“If that is the case how will this begin?”

“Noct, you start with our attempt, and ultimately success with the Hunt we're going to be going on soon enough”

“Very well, now then the first thing you need to know is that the minimum group requirement was well established by the time we found out about this Hunt, and the minimum group requirement was actually a necessity purely based on the fact that the target of the Hunt was, and actually since it hasn't been activated as a Hunt yet is _huge_ you need at least two people on each side to be able to have a chance of weakening it, and yes that's _with_ magic at our beck and call, second thing you need to know is that the person that allowed us to be part of the Hunt, who's name is Dave by the way, trusted us despite the fact that we were hiding who we were, apparently he somehow found out about our true identities but at the time it was Cor who vouched for the four of us, the third was that if we hadn't of joined in the Hunt Dave was going to deny the group of Hunters that wanted to partake in the Hunt the opportunity to do so since they didn't have a big enough group. When us four, and Monica who decided to join us for whatever reason, agreed to join the group of six Hunters and Dave, Dave approved the Hunt and though it took a bit of work we succeeding in taking down the target”

“Granted the Hunt wasn't easy by any means and had _earned_ the right to have a minimum number for safety reasons as well, but...we didn't exactly find that part out until during the ten years of darkness”

“Fast forward about four years into the ten years of darkness, it wasn't an easy day for any of us and since Gladio, Iggy and I were mainly separated by our own duties we decided to spend a day catching up together, when Dave came in...he looked _terrible_ , and the four of us decided to have a few drinks, bad idea in that environment by the way considering the fact that alcohol...well let's just say it wasn't the greatest at the time. In any case it turned out that Dave had an even worse day then us, he lost twelve good Hunters trying to get civilians to safety, civilians who had managed to survive outside of Lestallum somehow since the darkness came, he got...depressed during our drinking to say the least, that day brought back bad memories for him”

“The Hunt you four want to take on and the King wants me to join in”

“Yes, the Hunt we're going to be going on soon enough”

The three who were told the story took _long_ drinks from the glasses they had been given by Regis, and the three non time travelers could tell that action was the three trying to drown out the memories of what they had seen, and been told but finally Ignis speaks up again

“You have to understand that when we had joined the Hunt several years earlier we could tell that Dave was relieved that the Hunt could finally be declared over, we figured it was because of the amount of losses over the years of the Hunt because of the minimum group requirement” (snorts) “that was a mistake on our part big time, because we learned the full truth the night we got a little...drunk with him” (sighs) “it began innocent enough I suppose, he suddenly asked us if we remembered the Hunt that we took on that was forbidden without at least nine people and we answered that we had. That was the day we also learned that he had somehow learned about Noct being Prince of Lucis because he asked, and I'm quoting here 'what made you think it a good idea to go on a Hunt with the Prince of Lucis with you?, I thought the job of the Crownsguard was to protect the ruler at all times', we gave a brief explanation about our situation to Dave who sighed and basically said that it made sense we did what we did, needs must basically. In any case he then said that the trip to Lestallum to try and bring civilians to safety had brought back memories of that Hunt because of the amount of losses that had been incurred on that mission, he said that the Hunt we took on had the minimum group requirement for a _reason_ , that he had put that requirement on himself after...after the first time he himself had taken on the Hunt when it first became a target. The original Hunt wasn't exactly required to be a group Hunt but Dave and some others decided to cooperate on taking the Hunt because like Noct said the size of the Hunt was _huge_ , the target was at least ten feet tall and ten feet long, I might have been wrong but it was still definitely taller and longer than any of us partaking in the Hunt that day. Anyways he started to tell the story and like I said it wasn't required to be a group Hunt but it was turned into a group Hunt anyways by Dave and his comrades, that first Hunt...was a slaughter according to Dave and quite frankly I have to agree with him. The group had no idea what they were up against which was poor planning on their part, then again it was a new type of target so they weren't _entirely_ at fault either, they also didn't have any healing items which made matters worse. According to Dave the fight was long, hard, and ultimately brutal in regards to death and severe injury, out of fifteen Hunters who came together to take down one target Dave was the only survivor and with his injuries that took months of healing he isn't even sure how he survived in the first place, he woke up quickly enough but not quick enough to stop three Hunter trying to avenge their losses from losing their lives. That's when Dave decided that at minimum nine people were to take part of that particular Hunt and that he was going to be one of the mandatory members. And like we said before part of why it took so long was because it took time to gather the right amount of numbers for the Hunt because it wasn't just about numbers, but also _skill_ , if you weren't an experienced Hunter you were denied being on the mission, how the Cor we remember managed to convince Dave that we were good enough I have no idea”

“This is why you four want to take on the Hunt before it becomes official, you don't want a comrade who won't remember you to suffer the loss he's about to suffer”

“Exactly dad, especially because the fourteen people who died that day, were experienced Hunters, you now understand that the Hunters are a relatively small group compared to the area that they cover, to lose even one Hunter with a good decade or two of experience is a hard blow, but to lose fourteen Hunters with a combined experience of _over_ a hundred years...it was hard, real hard for the Hunters to even regain a _sliver_ of that experience back”

“And it was all lost during the ten years of darkness”

“Then let's keep the Hunters at least a little stronger for a little longer”

“One and a half months then, we start training now though so that Cor can adjust to our tactics and we can start thinking about what we're going to do to take that target down”

“I agree with them Cor, you may be the Marshal, but you are not used to fighting alongside the four of them despite training with them on occasion, you know as well as I do that such things can get people killed”

“Understood sir”

“Dad...I know it won't make much of a difference when the time comes, but I want you to do some training with us as well, it might...it might allow you to survive just a little longer, maybe...maybe make it so that Nyx doesn't use the ring”

“Noct...”

“I know, I know, Drautos is a tough opponent, especially since he's the enemy Glauca, though we can't prove it which is really annoying, but maybe just a few more minutes, or even maybe actually defeating

Glauca could save Nyx's life, I know that dad is going to die that day, but to take out Glauca...it shouldn't have to be Nyx's job”

“I failed in the other timeline and I know it from what you've told me, but Noctis you must understand that I might not be able to defeat Drautos, especially since we haven't even been able to prove that he's a traitor”

“I know, but to give them even a few more minutes might be enough”

“Then I shall intensify the training I do whenever I join the four of you”

“That'll have to do, for now though...Cor we're going to be training for the Hunt three days a week, the rest of the time will be our regular training”

“Understood your Highness”

“Good, and by the way where we're heading is going to take a full day of travel so make sure that when it's time to leave you pack camping gear because we're going to be stopping at a Haven overnight”

“Understood”

“Specs?”

“Oh I already have what's needed packed in the Regalia for not just this Hunt but for when it's time to begin our journey once again”

“Scientia...”

“Sorry your Majesty, but considering that from my memories you haven't used the Regalia in the last few years before we left Insomnia on the fake wedding...”

Clarus raises an eyebrow at hearing that

“Regis...have we been sheltering you too much?”

“Um...Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, Ignis?”

Noctis simply sighs, looks at the other three who give him a single nod and then speaks

“Yeah dad, you've been sheltered too much lately, the last six months I was home you _had_ to be sheltered because quite frankly all the arrangements were a pain to get done in the limited amount of time we had, like I said before I have no clue how we managed to get everything done in six months time, but the rest of the last few years you haven't really been seen much. I get that part of it is your health but...the people haven't really seen you lately and the Regalia is practically gathering dust”

“Gladio?”

“Hate to say it dad but...Noct's right, most of your time in the last few years before everything happened was mainly you being at the Citadel, from what I know about the day that Insomnia fell you were killed before Regis, as such the shield did not survive his King unlike me, but...you were also basically paranoid regarding the King's health”

“Wait, I thought all of you died”

Noctis speaks up

“Um, yes and no actually you three, my retainers didn't _exactly_ die, at least not when I did anyways, and not exactly what most people consider dead either”

“Wait what?”

(Sighs) “According to the Astrals you guys fought _hard_ , you won your fight and allowed me to bring back the light, and you guys actually managed to see the sun rise too, well feel it in Iggy's case, but you three didn't realize just how badly wounded you three were, between the attack by Ardyn that knocked you out, the fight with Ifrit, the fight that allowed me to ascend the throne, and the fact that Ardyn...he managed to poison you without your knowledge meant that you three were in trouble and didn't know it until it was far too late. According to the Astrals about six months after you returned to Hammerhead one by one you three collapsed and your bodies began to fail. The doctors, such as they were declared the three of you brain dead, your bodies were still functioning but with there was little hope of you three ever waking up again”

“Wait, what did our friends decide after hearing about that?”

“Keep hoping you three would wake up, but within a time limit, if you three hadn't recovered even slightly within two years they were going to let you three die peacefully in your sleep, no medical devices keeping the three of you alive like what was actually happening when I brought us back”

“Oh, wait so if we were transported here mentally does that mean that our bodies...”

“I don't know what happened to the three of you when the transfer happened in the alternate timeline, what I _do_ know is that when I was given the choice of coming back I was informed that mentally traveling back to the past was practically the only possible way to do so”

“Oh...wait, why so long after...”

“That I don't know either but it might have been because of the Scourge”

“Could be all things considered”

“Yeah, now then we should start establishing our routine for the next month and a half”

And so for the next month and a half that's exactly what they do, _train_ , and do a lot of it too so as to adjust to Cor being an actual member of the group


	19. Chapter 19

“Okay, we're as good as we're going to get for now, so we're leaving tomorrow, make sure that you're ready Cor”

“Yes sir”

And so the next day they head to the Hunt and like Noctis said it took a full day and they did have to stop at a Haven overnight

“One quick question, what's the point of stopping at the Haven if there's a hotel nearby?”

“You'll see Cor, you'll see”

“Wait Noct, is this the Haven that...”

“Yep”

“Okay, yeah, the Haven is a good idea”

“Indeed, I would have thought you wouldn't have recognized what that Haven truly was for us, as it is we haven't been there in so long I myself almost forgot about that Haven being what it was for us though I remembered the location”

And so Cor learned _exactly_ why Noctis wanted to stop at the Haven despite the fact that there was a hotel nearby. This _particular_ Haven wasn't just a place that was safe for the group to rest and recover without worry about daemons, but it was _also_ one of the few Havens that enhanced his ability to make items with elements or healing items, the group also explained it enhanced ordinary Potions and elixirs as well when used inside the Haven. They also showed him the training aspect of the Haven too, which meant that naturally it was one of the more powerful Havens that the group could use during their journey and fight against Niflheim or even during Hunts alongside Hunters

“I see why you wanted to come here now”

“Indeed”

“It's actually what enabled us to survive the upcoming Hunt”

“Yeah no kidding, we hightailed it back here after the Hunt as well if I recall”

“Yes, yes we did”

And so the next day the five took care of the Hunt before it became a Hunt, and while it took time and there were injuries all four time travelers were relieved that something that nearly killed Dave was taken care of before he could lose good comrades

“Well, that Hunt will never happen now”

“Agreed, you know I think this is really the first major thing that we've changed since coming back”

“Could be actually, in any case we're going back to the Haven to rest up and heal”

“Good idea”

They ultimately spend three days at the Haven resting and healing though they make sure to let the people who needed to know know that they were alive at the very least to avoid panic from gripping the kingdom

“Now that we're a bit more recovered it's time to go home and just take things as they go until...well you guys know”

“Yeah, we know”

And so the group heads back home and simply continues their routine, and then six months before they originally started their journey a courier came with a sealed envelope. Once alone with the time travelers Regis opened the envelope to see what it held and it was exactly what Ignis, Gladio, Prompto and Noctis were expecting

“Looks like it's time”

“Yes, since we know the truth this time around I'll not hurry the preparations”

“No, that would be too suspicious, you _must_ act like you don't know anything or coming back might be for naught”

“Very well Noctis, but still, since we know the truth you four don't have to follow the exact plan once you leave Insomnia”

“We know, we have things to do once we leave Insomnia...but once word is received of the fall we're coming back temporarily to see it for ourselves once again, besides, it will be good practice in fighting MT's again before we _really_ start fighting them”

“I see, now then shall we get started on making the plans?”

“Sure, but you three are continuing the training in between preparations”

“Very well, though you said it yourself Noct”

“I know dad, you and Clarus will die, sorry I never said anything earlier Gladio but I'm sure you knew it in your heart, but at the very least you can last longer in a fight against _Glauca_ , and maybe Ravus too now that I think about it”

“I know Noct, I knew in the original timeline that dad would be dead, and if he was to fall this time around dad would die again”

“So...how are we going to do this without alerting Niflheim that we know the truth?”

“Hm...good question”

Ultimately they decide to go through with what happened originally with the time traveler's help, though the time traveler's made sure that the pace wasn't quite as furious as before

“So, all that's left is to do everything over the next six months and then send you four out into the world to deal with everything and change your futures”

“Yeah”

And so the six month scramble that wasn't actually a scramble begins, but finally the day that the group originally left Insomnia arrived. Now then because of the fact that the group could never prove that Drautos was a traitor everyone knew he would be near Regis at the moment so they made sure that what was said before was as close as possible to the original timeline, if with a little more emotion and more admitting that they cared for each other

“Walk tall my son”

“I will dad, I promise”

And so the group leaves and once again the Regalia breaks down before they even get to Hammerhead

“I can't believe this happened again, I thought this car was checked”

“It _was_ , guess something was missed though”

“True, though since you said Cindy never told you what was wrong it must have been something that was only detected _after_ the car broke down”

“Most likely, let me guess though, no signal”

“None”

“Right, we're pushing then”

“Exactly”

“This is going to take a while”

“Yeah, by the way I know it won't happen for a couple more days, but what do you guys say to making plans for when we receive news of Insomnia's fall?”

“Works for me”

“But...maybe not at Hammerhead”

“Good point, after we rescue Dave?”

“Oh yeah, wait should we just go find him first?”

“No, I have my reasons for that though”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you'll see soon enough why we're keeping things the same _initially_ in regards to when we meet some of the group we got to know”

“So when are things going to change?”

“Once we receive word of Insomnia's fall, we...we have to figure out how to save Luna before Altissia happens but we have a few months before then so maybe...maybe tell her the truth”

“But Noct...”

“I know Specs, I know but it might be our best option even if we have no proof for her”

“We'll see when it comes closer to time, for now though we'd best be hitting the road”

“Right”

“Okay, when I say three we start pushing, and Ignis you know the drill”

“I know, but...when I say switch I mean it _Gladio_ ”

“You remember huh?”

“Yes, I do”

“And I'm backing him up with a royal order”

“Understood Noct”

Eventually they make it to Hammerhead and since they knew what was coming simply waited until Cindy informed them of what Cid wanted them to do

“So...how should we do this?”

“Get the problem taken care of and then rescue Dave, besides this'll be a good workout and get us back into form since all we've been doing is fighting against Dad, Clarus and Cor”

“Good point, we're a bit out of shape, that one Hunt we went on a little while ago might not have taken so long if we were in better practice now that I think about it”

And so they keep the beginnings of the trip the same, getting in a little practice and “rescuing” Dave, in some ways it hurt the three who lived through the ten years of darkness to see Dave much more vibrant and actually alive and healthy than it hurt Noctis, but even Noctis had a bad case of nostalgia and wishing things had been different

“It's...it's really him, I wish...”

“I know Prompto, as do Iggy and I, but he's alive and as far as we know didn't have to deal with the loss of fourteen fellow Hunters at once so that's something anyways”

“So...what now?”

“Now we head to Galdin Quay and wait for word about Insomnia”

“Dino?”

“Dino...look can you three handle this?”

“We're gonna have to Noct, many of the people we meet going forward are people we lost during the ten years of darkness, how Dave survived the entire time I don't know but he did, most of the others though?...we lost a lot of good people in that time that we're gonna meet”

“Fine, but if it starts to get to be too much...”

“We'll let you know”

“You'd better, plus...I think we might need to start checking ourselves more in regards to PTSD”

“Good point, now that we've reached that point in time...”

“Yeah, it's going to get exacerbated, by a lot I think”

“Especially because if I'm right we're going to have to go into further detail about something we only briefly touched on”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, if we meet up with...well if we meet up with someone you also know”

The group meets Ardyn and all four of them were fighting their instinct to attack him knowing that it wouldn't work at the moment and then met up with Dino where the three who were alive when he died kept their emotions in check and they then checked into the hotel knowing what they were facing the next day


	20. Chapter 20

“Hm, he wasn't...oh wrong city guys, think about it”

“Oh...yeah you're right, the story is going to have to wait for a little bit then”

“Wait what?”

“Yeah, we'll go into further detail later but once we're in Lestallum we're going to expand on something we told you and the three who knew our secret, think we should include Cor?”

“No, not unless he survives this time around”

“Got it, for now though we should get some sleep, and then...”

“Yeah, we head back to Insomnia”

“Not before I come back with the paper even though we know what's to come”

“Yeah, can't be seen knowing what's going to happen before it happens”

The next day Noctis and Gladio both wake up before Ignis due to their PTSD but they let Ignis pick up the newspaper anyways since they didn't want to change things too much in that regards, besides that they knew that Ignis would be able to remain the most calm out of the four of them even with the knowledge known beforehand this time around

“So, we heading back now that Iggy's brought us the news we already know?”

“Yeah, we're heading back”

And so the group heads back and simply goes straight to the location they did the first time they came across the blockade and fought to get to the same lookout point as originally, but finally they reached it and Noctis got through to Cor

“Cor...are you heading to the tomb?”

“Yes, but I was going to tell you to meet me in Hammerhead”

“I know, time travel remember? I need you to go to Hammerhead and _stay_ there, either that or Hunter base that I know you left Monica at to tell us you were at the tomb”

“Your Majesty...”

“Don't even _think_ about disobeying Cor, this is an _order_ , and by the way don't call me Majesty yet, I know I'm now the king, but we need to keep my survival as low key as possible despite the fact that we're going to be destroying Niflheim bases soon”

Before Cor could respond Noctis hangs up the phone and the group heads back to Hammerhead to leave the car in a safe place

“Come on let's go”

“Right”

When they arrive at the Hunter location that started it all though all they saw was Monica, who reported that Iris was headed to Lestallum like they already knew and then Noctis spoke up

“Where's Cor?”

“He's not here your Highness”

“I gave him a direct order, is he at the tomb?”

“No sir, we were heading here when trouble struck, he stayed behind to give the rest of us cover”

“I see, where's his last known location?”

“I can show you on a map, but he may no longer be there, or if he is he might be...”

“I wouldn't worry about him Monica, he has his nickname for a reason”

“But Noct...”

“We're discussing that later guys”

“Understood”

Once the four time travelers were alone in the Regalia Noctis spoke up

“Okay let me have it”

“Telling Monica not to worry should not have been said considering that we know for a fact that Cor died shortly after Altissia”

“Except for one thing, first of all I plan on having Cor with us on that trip, might help with the evacuation and keeping _someone_ from doing something stupid, and second of all you guys never did find out what actually killed Cor did you?”

“Noct...”

“No Ignis, you _knew_ that the ring was only for the line of Lucii, though somehow you and Nyx _both_ managed to use it, one losing their life and the other losing the use of their eyes, I am _not_ letting that happen again, and I know for a fact that you would do it even knowing that Ardyn is immortal”

“That's not what I was about to say Noct, you need to let me finish my sentences sometimes”

“Okay what were you actually going to say then?”

“We found out what killed Cor during the ten years of darkness”

“Wait, what? I thought you guys didn't find that out, I mean when you told the story you never said...”

“Yeah, we...we didn't want to go into further details with Cor because we know how he is”

“Haven story?”

“Haven story, _without_ Cor because Cor was with us a couple of times in the early days”

“Good point”

“In the meantime we have a Marshal to rescue don't we?”

“Yeah, let's just hope he's still alive when we get to his location, at least...as far as I know he wasn't planning on disobeying my order”

“We can ask him once he's safe”

“Good idea”

“By the way, you never mentioned Dave helping you at the same time Aranea was, why is that?”

“Because of the fact that Dave kept his involvement in my relearning a secret from almost everyone else, add in the fact that he's a private person and Dave being involved wasn't mentioned until more recently since I felt there should be some people who should know about his help even if they are now lost to us”

“Oh, wait does that mean that while she helped you hunt it was more Dave going with you than Aranea?”

“Not entirely, there were times when Dave was unavailable and so Aranea went with me and vice versa and there were times when they were both on the same hunt as I was while I was getting back on my feet”

“Oh, now then first we find Cor and then we get to camp and make sure that he's okay”

“Good idea”

They eventually find Cor, he was in rough shape and still fighting but alive. The four time travelers joined the fray and ended the fight quickly and that's when Cor's body decided it had had enough and he collapsed, and remained unconscious even after two Potions

“Let's get to the Haven”

“Right”

Cor had to be carried by Gladio but eventually the group got to a Haven where Cor remained unconscious for the rest of the night and half of the next day but finally Cor showed signs of waking up and he woke up fully only minutes later

“Your Highness, I apologize for the need of being rescued”

“It's okay Cor, you were outnumbered, that you survived is all that matters right now”

“How long was I out?”

“All of last night after we rescued you until now, eat and then I have a couple of questions that need answered”

“Well I can actually answer one question already, if I had made it to the Hunter base with the others I would have obeyed orders and stayed, I actually remember you saying you had the Royal Arms already and thus you don't need to take that journey”

“I said I had access to the Armiger, when did I say I had the Royal Arms?”

“You never overtly stated it I don't remember, but in your last fight before this journey you subconsciously used the Royal Arms and I don't think your companions realized it either considering the looks they're giving me”

“Oh...didn't know that, okay then at least you would have been there as ordered, other questions can wait until after lunch”

“Yes sir...are we staying here another day?”

“No, we should make it to Hunter base by nightfall if we leave right after lunch, we have the Regalia so explanations about everything else can wait until we're on the road”

And so the group eats lunch and then once in the Regalia Noctis asks about not only the evacuation plans that his father had fought the Council on but also about the Kingsglaive in general

“The evacuation plans went about as well as they could, I know for a fact that Regis and Clarus were still fighting when I left, as for the Glaives...I don't know really, I also don't know if Nyx Ulric survived this time around or where the Ring is”

“Okay...okay, we'll deal with things as we continue for now though let's just get back to the base and go from there”

“Understood...Prince Noctis you should know something about that night, your father didn't just manage to get the evacuation plans going, he managed to prove that Titus Drautos was Glauca just an hour before the signing was to begin, but...I don't know what happened due to that”

“I see...at least...at least those loyal knew the truth before the end”

“To a degree yes, so...what are you going to do since you don't need to gather the Royal Arms?”

“Not entirely sure actually, there's a lot that needs done, but for now I think we're just going to get to the Hunter base and make plans from there”

“So...following general timeline then?”

“Yeah, we are, now then Specs you are not driving even though you normally would, I want to take the wheel for a bit”

“Understood Noct”

Noctis gets the group to Hunter base before nightfall and Monica is relieved to see Cor, yes Noctis had informed Monica of his survival, but all things considered Monica had to see Cor for herself

“It's good to see you Marshal, we weren't sure if...”

“I know, but if I had to do it again I would, did everyone else manage to get to their locations alright?”

“Dustin is still heading to Lestallum last I knew but everyone headed here is safe, you were the only one missing and in an unknown condition when we reported to the Prince”

“Okay, now then what's next?”

“I'm not sure sir, the Hunters could probably use our help but...”

“Oh I think I know what to do”

“Noct?”

“There's a base we need to take care of alongside Cor”

“Good point, let's get to it then”

“Wait, what?”

“We'll explain later Cor, for now though we have work to do”

And so the group handles the base and then the four time travelers head to a Haven so that they could have a desperately needed talk because Noctis could tell that they were hesitant on leaving Cor to go off on his own

“Okay you three, what's going on in regards to what happened to Cor?”

“Right, you do need to know that, and we did say we discovered the full truth during the ten years of darkness”

Prompto sighs and signals that he was going to start the conversation that needed to be had

“You already know that Monica was told about Cor's death by Hunters and that it hadn't been long since his death when it was discovered, what you _don't_ know is that those same Hunters wanted to know what killed Cor the Immortal and so went looking for that information long after the years of darkness began, and they did, five years before you returned we finally found out what killed Cor. It was a combination of daemons and Niflheim soldiers, he fought Noct, he fought long and hard against his enemies but eventually his strength gave out and he was killed, a couple of Hunters got to his location about an hour or so late, but they had heard the commotion, just didn't know what caused the commotion or able to completely identify the components of the commotion”

Ignis then speaks up

“There's more though, they not only found out what killed Cor but they also discovered a few more things about that area that were kept hidden for a long time that were related to what happened to Cor, why he had to fight there in the first place, turns out that there were loyal Glaives in the area that he'd heard rumors about, add in the fact that there were a couple of Hunts also in the area and he went”

Gladio then picks up the story

“Hurt to hear everything regarding Cor all over again, but we were glad to finally have answers, helped us a lot too considering...well let's just say that you're going to have to keep us under control when we get to Lestallum and come across Vyv”

“Why would I have to...he's the one isn't he? I remember you guys mentioning having a guy being thought dead for three years, this was during that time period wasn't it?”

“Yeah, he'd just recently been declared legally dead and all of us were having a hard time coping with it and wishing Cor was there to try and help us deal with the loss, having closure regarding his death...it was a big help for us to know why we lost one comrade when we had questions about why we had to lose someone else, even if the answers were for a comrade long since dead”

“And then when he ultimately turned out to be alive...”

“Yeah, he came back about two years before you did and the celebration was _huge_ , I might also like to admit no one let him out of their sight for longer than absolutely necessary for him to get certain necessities done each day for a year and a half, and even in the last six months before your return he had to check in regularly with someone”

“How regular?”

“Initially for like the first month it was once a day, eventually it got to the point where it was once a week and that's where it stayed up to when you came back”

“I see, when we get there I'll keep you guys under control I promise, for now though I believe it's time for us to get some sleep”

“Indeed”

That night all four of them had a PTSD flare up because of everything they had been through recently and with the fact that they'd already had a nightmare recently they knew what this could possibly mean

“Right, everyone is to keep an eye on each other, looks like being back in the timeline that we remember is affecting us more than we thought it would”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I've run into a little bit of writer's block. I know that Ardyn is going to be a problem that's a bit different this time around but it isn't fully thought out like I thought it was. I need to explain that only the four time travelers remember by a decision of the Astrals, Ardyn wasn't reminded because he could cause bigger problems than before if he remembered the other timeline, as for Lunafreya, it was a gift that she not be burdened by the memories of the other timeline since the Astrals had Noctis create a very special Potion for Lunafreya that would have rejuvenated her after being weakened by the Covenants. I am also having a bit of trouble because while the four remember exactly who Ardyn really is they may or may not still have to do the Covenants, that part I am undecided about unlike the Royal Arms which means that for Titan at least Ardyn is needed to get them to the Disc and also to rescue them after their fight, which means that the Regalia gets stolen and they have to infiltrate a base to get it back...again. If you're part of fanfiction.net you can PM me for ideas


	21. Chapter 21

“Agreed, as we get further along we might all have areas of struggle”

“Altissia?”

“Indeed”

“By the way, we need to talk about something”

“What is it Prompto?”

“So...disguises or not you three?”

“Good question, I mean we _do_ have those alternative identities that we told Regis, Clarus and Cor however...”

“Yeah, that's only been used once and your _actual_ description was used, now...”

“Indeed”

“We'll make further discussions either once we're actually on our way to Lestallum or once we get there”

“Right, for now though I guess we're going to simply do what needs done?”

“Exactly”

“This is going to get interesting”

“No kidding”

“Still, we might not considering we've already met Ardyn”

“Oh...good point, we'll figure things out, so Lestallum?”

“No, there's something we need to do first, something I feel is needed”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you'll see when we get there, and I'm not talking about more family tombs seeing as how I already have the Royal Arms”

“You're being mysterious today Noct”

“Yeah Gladio I am, but I have my reasons, by the way, once we get to Lestallum I need more on the story behind Vyv”

“We know, you know he came back shortly before you did and you also know getting closure on Cor was needed since Vyv was still so fresh a loss but you don't know the circumstances behind us losing Vyv for so long”

“Or how he took the fact that he was being watched so carefully for so long”

“So...what are we going to do about Ardyn?”

“That I don't know seeing as how we _do_ need him for the covenant with Titan”

“Oh...you lost those in the time travel?”

“Yes, they managed to save the Armiger but unfortunately I need to reforge that covenant”

“How come?”

“Well...according to Bahamut, what they did took a lot of their own power, and while what happened in the previous timeline was wiped out, between using that much power to send us back in time with the Armiger and them being so strong in the first place it was safer that I simply reforge those covenants”

“Understood, so what about when the Empire deals with Titan and Ardyn offers us a ride?”

“Same as last time, don't trust him but get on board because we have no other option”

“Guess we'll have no other choice, guess that also means we need him for the disc”

“Indeed”

“This is going to be hard for us, no disguise, dealing with Vyv, and then dealing with Ardyn”

“Yep, but first like I said, there's something I feel needs to be done first”

And so three hours later the group finds out what Noctis needed to do, he told Dave about the group and their identities

“Why are you telling me about this your Highness?”

“I need you to know so that if something happens during the journey you know what's coming, plus if we need to get in contact with you or any other Hunter it's better that you know who you're actually dealing with so that you understand the seriousness of the request”

“Understood, wait why would you contacting me be a serious request?”

“Because we're planning on dealing with the Empire on our own, but we also have to do Hunts to survive, that means being that we have access to magic, have much bigger targets in mind and also on our backs I'm afraid, and have a few other things going on that I can't explain, if we ever call for backup on a Hunt or even on one of our missions which we're going to avoid doing, it means we're in _trouble_ that we can't handle on our own which should scare you...a lot”

“Understood, if you call I'll get my best men and come along personally then”

“Thank you and...I think you should prepare for the worst to happen if we fail in a special mission”

“What exactly are you thinking about?”

“Daemons out regularly, and being stronger than what they are now”

“Understood, but wait why would daemons...you know what never mind I don't think I want to know”

“No, you _really_ don't, oh and we might contact you through an intermediary through necessity, but they don't know that about themselves yet”

“Let me know who it is once they know themselves?”

“Exactly, might have more than one actually depending on how...things go in the future”

“Why are you so hesitant Prince Noctis?”

“You'll find out in the future, now then we're heading to Lestallum but I want _you_ if possible to keep an eye on this area here, and also where a Royal tomb is being kept, I wouldn't put it past the Empire to steal from my family tombs and besides, with the hunt on for us the Empire might do something stupid and anger the people which we do _not_ need at the moment”

“Recklessness and rookies going after Hunts?”

“Exactly”

“I'll keep an eye out for trouble then”

Noctis returns to the Regalia seeing as how he had gone to Dave alone per his order and once back on the road Ignis speaks up


	22. Chapter 22

“What was that about Noct?”

“Letting Dave know up front about who we are to a degree and to tell him to prepare for possible trouble including the ten years of darkness, though I didn't state that outright, now then we're trying to _prevent_ those ten years but they still might happen despite our best efforts so he needs to start preparing now, plus I let him know about one, possibly two intermediaries once they themselves are informed”

“Who?”

“Iris and Luna, Gladio I know you want to protect your sister but you also know how strong she gets in the future and besides that I'll make sure that she never goes alone until she's properly trained up”

“And what about Luna?”

“Gentiana”

“Oh...that makes sense actually”

“So...Lestallum”

“Yeah, Lestallum, and Ardyn seeing as how I need to reforge those covenants”

“Right, we don't trust him one moment of our time together”

“Agreed, we also don't try and kill him right off because that would give us away”

“So...when?”

“I'll let you know guys, by the way tell Luna or not? I know for a fact that we haven't decided on that yet”

“Let's wait until we get closer to Altissia”

“Fine”

While on the way to Lestallum Noctis naturally fell asleep and while asleep was told that he was to make allies with Ravus as soon as he could because it was part of how to save Lunafreya from her fate though the Astrals didn't tell him how that would work. Once he was awake he had Ignis stop at a campsite that they had discovered by accident all those years ago

“What is it Noct?”

“When we meet Ravus we have to find a way to slip him a note to tell him to meet at the nearby Haven at the base where the Regalia is going to be held”

“What for?”

“The Astrals told me that Ravus is part of how Lunafreya's fate is changed, though they didn't exactly give me the particulars on how that's possible”

“Right, in the meantime though we need to get to Lestallum”

“Right, and then the _full_ story regarding Vyv guys, I need to know to help you guys”

“We know”

“Indeed, we've given you parts of the story but to understand just how affected we are when we'll see Vyv you do indeed need to know the full story, especially since like we said we found out what happened to Cor shortly after we thought Vyv was gone”

And so the group eventually reaches Lestallum and meets up with Iris as well as discussing what they were going to do the rest of the day. That night they were in their hotel rooms privately having already told Iris and Talcott (who they had to keep themselves under control for due to the fact that Talcott's grandfather was still alive) that they wanted to be alone

“Okay guys, we need to talk”

“Right...the story you need regarding Vyv”

“Yeah, the story I need to know regarding Vyv, you've given me bits and pieces of the story, like the fact you found out about how Cor died shortly after thinking you guys lost Vyv, and how he was thought dead for three years, I also summarized that his loss was during the third year of the ten years of darkness and declared dead in the fifth year”

“Yeah...Vyv...Vyv was a harder loss than Dino, though you wouldn't have expected that to be the case what with Dino being a Hunter more than Vyv actually, like we said Dino actually turned out to be a half way decent Hunter and his sacrifice was going to be honored once everything was taken care of and we were properly ready to remember those lost during those ten years. Anyways that third year of the years of darkness was one of the harshest years we had, partly because of the amount of loss we had in regards to life and partly because we were beginning to realize that within ten years we would be forced to...take measures to ensure that people didn't have as many children as before or any children at all because food was beginning to be a problem and sacrifices were starting to be made so that children didn't go hungry as often as the adults. Vyv as a reporter, and yes Dino was one as well but Vyv and Dino weren't really in the same category, but Vyv as a reporter and through us thought that some pictures might be a good idea to try and see if there were any locations that might be a good place for a small and I do mean very small settlement that would grow food for Lestallum and Hammerhead since that was where everyone basically was. He...he was out on a photo shoot when we heard that he had come across some refugees that he was going to do his best to bring back to Hammerhead as the closest safest location that he knew about, fortunately Iggy here was close by as well and was trusted amongst the Hunters by that point to be able to take care of himself in a fight despite his blindness, and was the first person sent in”

“I got into the fight as soon as I arrived and I told Vyv to let me take care of the daemon while he continued the evacuation of the refugees, the last thing I heard him say personally and I am quoting him 'okay Scientia, I trust you with this, I'll inform whichever Hunter I come across next your location and situation as I knew it and will make sure that these civilians get to safety, good luck and you can count on me to complete the mission' and with that the group was gone and I fought for about an hour all on my own, and was honestly at the end of my strength when backup arrived and finished what I had started”

“Vyv succeeded in his mission, got the refugees to Hammerhead, but there was no Vyv, the refugees telling us that Vyv held the line for them to get the last little bit of the journey to Hammerhead over with in safety, Iggy was brought to Hammerhead unconscious three hours after the refugees arrived with the Hunters saying that they didn't know where Vyv was, that was the first day of three long years of thinking him gone, granted we had that policy in place by then so we didn't give up hope too quickly and then his time limit hit, that...that was hard for all of us when it happened because we were also getting over the loss of Dino too when Vyv was officially declared dead, two months later we got closure on Cor”

“The next three years were hard for everyone, there was a lot more deaths and also a lot more struggles with getting food for everyone, more and more sacrifices were being made for the children, children who didn't remember the sun were starting to think some people were crazy talking about a sun returning not realizing just what was going on in the minds of the adults and the teenagers who remembered a life before the darkness. We almost lost Dave several times during the years of darkness too but he managed to survive to the end surprisingly enough, and he was with us the day we found out Vyv had survived all those years ago, and as one of the initial searchers he was one of the most surprised to find that out. It wasn't one of our better days, there had been three different fights already so when the proximity alarm sounded for a _fourth_ time that day everyone was tired and naturally not happy about needing to fight again after only fifteen minutes of rest but everyone gathered themselves and went outside ready to face the threat naturally we staggered the defense line but that was ultimately unneeded it turned out. Prompto and I were part of the first line of defense while Iggy was part of the last line of defense this time around, when we saw Vyv...”

“I almost shot him right away while another person, who was actually a rookie all things considered went stupid route and rushed Vyv, forgetting the possibility of him being infected, ultimately that turned out not to be the case, and as for Vyv he gave out the correct message for an old answer/challenge code that had been established seeing as how the code had changed during his time away. Once it was confirmed as him and non-infected he told us his story of his years away from the group”

“Turns out he deliberately stayed away the entire time so as to not lead any daemons to us, became a halfway decent Hunter during that time going between Lestallum and Hammerhead doing what he could to keep the routes safe, staying at Havens whenever possible and making sure not to get infected, though even he admitted that he was surprised at just how well he had managed to do so”

“Once he was back, like we said he never left someone's sight for very long for a year, he chaffed at that but he also initially understood though eventually we managed to get down to weekly phone calls”

“You guys mentioned having a celebration at his return”

“Oh man did we ever, it lasted for what? I think a week Iggy?”

“About yes Prompto, it certainly ran for a straight twenty-four hours before beginning the wind down process for a couple of hours at a time with the time gradually extending until it was over with completely”

“And now you guys are back and he hasn't been missing for several years...how did he look anyways when he returned?”

 _Okay just for clarification I am_ not _taking what is said here as a statement against people with weight issues, this is just my theory for an in game character in regards to him losing weight during the ten years of darkness in my head, if this section offends you then skip it and I won't be offended. Again do realize that I haven't really played the game or really read any bios on any of the characters so this is just me thinking about a scenario and going with it_

“Lost a lot of weight, gained plenty of muscle and his eyes...they held new shadows that no one felt they could ask questions about”

“I see...this is going to be hard for you guys, worse than with Dave, or even Dino”

“Yeah, Dave never went missing and Dino had a body, Vyv...well until his return we were never too sure about his fate, always thought he had turned and been killed up to that point in all honesty”

“Guess I'm main contact point then until you say otherwise, now to get the ball rolling and meet Ardyn again so that I can get the contract with Titan”

“Right...by the way what _are_ we going to do to keep the timeline the same since we don't have to hunt for the Royal Arms?”

“Guess we're simply going to have to take up extra hunts to fill in the time we have”

“Though first off is dealing with Dead-eye once we lose the car”

“Yep, and we're not going after the car immediately either for complicated reasons”

“Noct?”

“Partly the time filling that needs done, but also...there's something I want to take care of before we get the car back that might be easier with Chocobos instead of the Regalia”

“Right, though I think actually you need a better description about Vyv after his return”

“What do you mean Gladio?”

Gladio gives out a heavy sigh

“Iggy and Prompto never knew about this, Iggy because of his literal blindness and Prompto because of the fact that Vyv wasn't really comfortable about taking clothes off around a lot of people, but Vyv didn't just naturally lose the weight during his disappearance, though he had already started to lose weight during the initial period of darkness due to the fact that he deliberately skipped meals for those that needed it more, like young children or nursing and expectant mothers. He told me one night that he had practically been disemboweled by a normal creature that was fighting for it's own survival, he had to take care of that injury on his own and it took him _months_ to regain his strength, almost starved to death according to him during that time, his stomach area was littered in scars and I could tell he had stitched himself back up several times, the muscles everyone saw...those were just his arms and legs that gained muscle never his cor area. He also had issues with certain types of food that never went away and actually made eating hard for him at times because those foods were all that were available, had to hold him up while he was bringing everything he had eaten back up more than once during the first six months of his return. He also...there's a reason he gave his camera up Prompto, his eyes were permanently damaged during his time away and he was half blind by his return, he admitted to me in private once that he was surprised he even made it to Hammerhead in the first place once he decided to return to civilization. The reason why you need to know about this Noct even though we're in the past is because quite frankly you need to be careful about how you handle any of his requests to us _and_ the fact that he wants to do more for the magazine he works on but physically can't go to some places because of his health”

“Gladio, what did his stomach looking like it did have to do with his rapid loss of weight?, though what you described about his being physically ill at times helps me understand his difficulties coming back to any sort of healthy weight as I was told he managed to get to”

“He lost part of his stomach Iggy, add in that for the first year of his recovery he apparently had trouble keeping _anything_ down and had to build back up to what he could eat and the amounts he could eat as well, he wasn't joking when he said he almost starved to death during his initial recovery period which was about seven months by his estimate”

“He couldn't eat?”

“Not initially, and his wounds kept reopening because he couldn't stay at Havens for too long a period at any given time so he also got sick with infection a few times, though he managed to figure out which plants would help him with those issues”

“What does that have to do with this timeline?”

“Just understand why we're doing these assignments instead of him, and...if he should ever request our help for a particular assignment be _extremely_ careful and sensitive when asking him further details, and while I am not going to get into the specifics about the assignment you'll figure it out soon enough I'm sure”

“Understood, so...shall we get this started then?”

“Indeed, this isn't going to be easy for any of us”

“No kidding, we hate Ardyn, have zero trust in him, know who he really is this time around, know _what_ he is, and _still_ have to be around him and act like we're ignorant fools”

“We'll just have to deal guys, for now though it's time to get sleep”

“Right, this is going to get interesting”

“No kidding”

“Well we'll just simply have to deal with it as we come across him, and...if we lose the car he's really our only way to safety”

“Good point, okay no trying to kill him the moment we see him again”

“Agreed, we did well at Galdin Quay, so we'll just have to keep that up”

“Guess so”

“For now though it's time to get some sleep”

“Right”

That night all of them would have a PTSD episode and wake up with weapons in their hands and it didn't help that they were in separate rooms that night despite the rooms being designed for two people at a time


	23. Chapter 23

“Right, that's it, no more one person in a room, _ever_ no matter _what_ we're told the rules are”

“Agreed, now then I believe you have what Iris calls a date with her to explore the town and then...”

“Yeah and then”

And so that's exactly what happens because even though the group knew Lestallum, especially the three that lived through the ten years of darkness, it was nice to relax for a little bit and simply let Iris be a teenager for a little bit longer, even with the loss of her father, the four knew that they hadn't been able to be carefree for a long, long time, even when they were back in the past for four years they weren't as carefree as people thought they had been, instead they had been training, dealing with PTSD on a regular basis or making plans on what they were going to change once the timeline caught up to a degree and then they realized something

“Hey uh guys...we kinda forgot about something”

“What Prompto?”

“Dead-eye, we have yet to take care of him and that means no Chocobos”

“Oh...good point”

“Guess we're heading to the outpost then”

“Then let's get going, good thing we already know we can defeat Dead-eye, it's just going to take a little bit of work is all”

And so they head to the Chocobo outpost and join the hunt for Dead-eye

“So...same plan as last time?”

“Nah, let's just face him head on and ignore the barrels especially considering just how...explosive those things are”

“Right, let's do it then”

And so that's what they do, they simply fight Dead-eye and once they were allowed to rent Chocobos the entire group looked at Noct in expectation

“Right, the thing I wanted to do with Chocobos, because in all honesty it _will_ be easier to do this without the Regalia even if we have it right now”

“What makes you say that?”

“Simple, because we're going to the Malmalam thicket to take care of some things in there even though I don't need the Royal Arm in the tomb and I don't want to walk all that ways and I think I know a way to coax the birds into taking us all the way in, though I won't force them if they don't want to go further in”

“Why the birds for that place?”

“You'll see”

And the group did indeed see why Noctis wanted the Chocobos for the thicket, not only because it made the journey slightly easier but also the fact that quite frankly there were areas that were only accessible with the birds

“So...still have to deal with Ardyn so that you can regain the covenants”

“Yeah, guess there's simply no more avoiding it is there?”

“None”

“Then let's head to the outlook once we get back, this is gonna get interesting and we're _all_ going to have to control ourselves to the extreme”

“Oh right...we shared a caravan didn't we?”

“Yeah...PTSD will be a dead giveaway”

“Unless...”

“What is it Iggy?”

“There might be a way to avoid an episode for sure instead of risking it with Ardyn”

“What do you...Specs I thought we agreed _never_ to use that solution again”

“We did, however...”

“King Regis...he made you promise something didn't he?”

“Yes Gladio, when the therapist, with our permission, told the King about our decision not to use that solution ever again he asked to meet me and me alone in private. When we talked he said he was concerned about the future and the fact that there was a high probability of us needing to work or at the very least be with Ardyn for periods of time and the fact that our PTSD was so unpredictable, thus me made me promise to keep some of the solution on hand for such situations and while I won't force you to use the solution he asked me to try and convince you of his arguments for using said solution despite our obvious hate for it”

“I see...we'll talk about it more on the way back to Lestallum, and...and if we agree to it we can't let Ardyn see us taking that solution, or if he does figure out a way to keep him from being suspicious”

“Agreed”

Ultimately the group does decide to use the solution that they had agreed never to use again for a _reason_ when around Ardyn because they really had no other choice if they wanted to keep things a secret

“Remember when...”

“When we all agreed that this solution was banned? I remember, and I remember that dad and the therapist agreed with our decision, I guess I didn't realize that dad thought about this exact scenario when agreeing though”

_Several years earlier_

The four time travelers had been having a bad  _month_ and the three who knew about it could tell that it was a bad month because even the therapist, who they were now fully cooperating with, wasn't having much success in bringing them down from daily PTSD episodes, which wasn't a good thing considering that all four of them were having at  _least_ four episodes a day including during their sleep

“We...we need relief and _soon_ ”  


“No kidding, dad said that if he doesn't see improvement within two weeks he's going to do something drastic”  


“Like what Noct?”  


“No idea Gladio, but I don't think we want to know”

“Guess we'll just have to hope that the therapist comes up with something first then”

The therapist did indeed come up with something before Regis did, it was a relatively new drug developed for those with PTSD thus not everything was known about it including all possible side effects though most common side effects  _were_ known since it had gone through a standard trial period

“Now then I'm sure you all know the rules regarding the medication”

“Yes, if we feel anything seriously off while on the medication, even if it's just more severe versions of all known side effects we're to let you or another doctor know immediately”

“Exactly”

“Then we'll go for it, it has to be better than what we're dealing with now right?”

“Indeed”

Ultimately it only took three days to realize that the new medication was  _not_ the best thing for the four of them because not only did all four of them have issues waking up (more like being woken up in a timely manner) but their health was majorly impacted as well after just three days with them being affected after only twenty-four hours too

“Okay you four, you may have dreamless sleep with this medication but it's not doing you guys any good in regards to health, so no more of this medication understood?”

“Completely”

Later in private Regis had his conversation with Ignis about keeping at least a little bit of the medication on hand despite how dangerous it actually was to them since he knew that they would probably have to be around Ardyn in the future dependent on various things

“I understand, I will keep it a secret unless it's absolutely necessary to reveal what you have ordered me to do”

“Please do, though I hope it's never needed”  


_Present_


	24. Chapter 24

“He really was paying more attention than we thought over those four years of listening to our story many times to understand and plan for what we're having to do now”

“Yeah, guess he was”

And so they meet up with Iris again and Noctis privately talks to Iris about being a contact person for Dave if ever asked and then they meet up with Ardyn again though they didn't like the necessity. When they stopped for the night they took the medication that they hated and gave Ardyn excuses that they hoped he bought and then the next day (once they actually woke up) they headed to the Disc so that Noctis could get the covenant that he needed and naturally separated at the gate

“By the way, think we should just do some hunting once we're done with this?”

“Sure, wait, what about what Dave's going to do?”

“We'll take care of that later for now though we need to do Hunts after I get the covenant”

“Right, not only to pass the time but also...”

“Yeah, since we won't have the Regalia until we steal the car back we might as well take that time to get more gil since we're legitimately starting to run a little low on money”

Soon they were at the point that they had to leave the Regalia behind to be stolen

“Well, time to get separated from the car for a bit”

“Let's just hope this goes easier than last time”

Ultimately the fight lasts just a little bit shorter than originally, they still lose the car and are forced to ride to safety with Ardyn, and pride themselves once again for not immediately acting on their instinct to temporarily kill him

“Well, at least we have access to the Chocobos”

“Yeah, but first we get Ramuh”

“Noct...”

“I know Iggy I know, but unfortunately you must remember that within a couple of days of this I got that covenant”

A couple of days later and the group knew it was time to get Ramuh and then retrieve the car

“So...shall we?”

“Indeed we shall, oh and by the way Titan said that they're going to try and not be as hard to get as last time but I still need to prove myself to them”

“Wait...so they remember?”

“Somehow yeah, and by the way anyone know how to get Ravus' attention long enough for us to start bringing him into the fold?”

“We'll figure it out somehow, in the meantime, let's go infiltrate a base shall we?”

“Indeed”

And so after they get Ramuh they infiltrate the base and meet up with Ravus once more but this time when Gladio brings out his sword to defend Noctis, Noctis says something that surprises Ravus


	25. Chapter 25

“Talk to Gentiana and then arrange a meeting with us”

Ravus doesn't look happy about that and leaves when Ardyn forces him to, but they all hope that Ravus listens to their advice

“So...what now?”

“Considering the fact that we can't head to Altissia yet I guess it's Hunts and dealing with other stuff, including getting the Mythril, you leaving us this time Gladio?”

“Yeah, I need to face him again for reasons I can't explain”

“Hey uh guys...we have a problem”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, we know what Ardyn's after but...while I don't think he has his memories he's acting...off from the original timeline”

“Could it be our own actions?”

“Might be, we'll have to see what he does once we talk to Ravus and hopefully get him on our side”

“Is that when you're going to tell Luna as well?”

“Yeah, I think it is”

“Still, she knows that we can't reach Altissia for a bit if you do so”

“I know, but I might actually be able to save her if I can warn her, and by the way what I said four years ago still stands Iggy, you are _never_ putting on that ring again”

“Understood Noct”

“Still...we might have to start investigating Ardyn soon”

“So long as we keep the secret from him, he does _not_ need more ammunition against us”

“Agreed, we also really do need to meet up with Aranea again”

“Specs?”

“There's something I wasn't telling you about her Noct, while we never married she and I became...well I guess you could say we became close while she was helping Dave teach me how to fight again, I was hoping to start that friendship up again, and maybe...maybe have her as an ally much sooner than last time around”

“I see...well I guess we could try, but not without permission of the Astrals”

“Understood”

“Wait, why can't we bring in too many people?”

“Think about it Prompto”

“Okay yeah, guess you're right, and I guess we really _should_ keep the timeline relatively the same, at least up until Altissia”

“Yeah, and then we're changing everything that we can change at that point, though Prompto's right about investigating Ardyn, very, very carefully so that we don't make him suspicious”

“So...how shall we go about that anyways?”

“For now...let's just focus on waiting to hear from Ravus and go from there”

“Good point, we _really_ need to figure out a few things first, wait for other things to be aligned properly and let's face it, we need to do Hunts again, we're getting a little low on funds”

“Good point”

And so the group decides to join a Hunt with multiple Hunters and when they saw the group they all froze in shock because of the fact that it wasn't just Dave involved in the group Hunt, but also a very specific group of people that they had never personally met and yet had managed to save. They already knew that Dave wasn't weighed down by the loss of fourteen good Hunters but they had never expected to meet the group that they had inadvertently saved by doing the Hunt themselves with Cor's help all those years ago

“Noct these guys are...”

“Yeah, I think they are”

“We _know_ they are Noct, Dave...Dave showed us a group photo once, you never saw it but...”

“But you guys did...or well you and Prompto anyways seeing as how Iggy...”

“Yes we did, however...”

“Noct, shortly after we returned to the past the Astrals allowed me to see the same picture as Prompto and Gladio had seen...at least I think they did”

Suddenly Gentiana appears

“The one who sacrificed his sight for his king did indeed see those fallen before you, as thank you and a warning of what would come if you chose not to deal with the issue when you did”

“I see...thank you Gentiana for allowing me to see those we saved before meeting them”

And so the group joined in the Hunt with Dave being surprised that they did due to what he now knew about them

“Oh and Dave, the one person said yes to my request, I'll give you their contact information so that you know them by sight and number”

“Got it”

“Hopefully it won't come to it but...”

“Better to be prepared just in case”

“Exactly, so...how bad is this Hunt for you fifteen to officially be part of it before we joined in?”

“Bad...especially because of the fact that quite frankly it's a two part Hunt, one part during the day, the other part during the night and you four know what that means...”

“Daemons, _just_ perfect, so you heard about our recent late night jaunt huh?”

“Yes I did, granted I know you four didn't have much of a choice but still wasn't a good thing or idea”

“No kidding, still this is going to be a pain to deal with if it's a two part mission”

“Let's get to it then”

When the group saw the first half of the target it was _Ignis_ who acted unlike his usual self, in more ways then one

“Oh, you have _got_ to be _kidding_ me! I thought we took care of this thing already Noct!”

“We did! I think this is a different one”

“Nope definitely the same one guys”

“What makes you say that Prompto?”

“Oh, just the scar that I recognize from the last fight”

“Just perfect, okay guys follow the lead of the Hunters”

And so the fight was an epic fight, the Hunters seeing the group use Lucian magic, being afforded it's use via Potions, Elixirs and Antidotes and overall simply fighting and being a coordinated group, though admittedly Ignis helped with that

“So...what exactly is this second half that needs to be done at night?”

“The part where we need to kill this thing a second time along with whatever daemon spawns with it”

“Oh great, that wasn't in the Hunt description the first time”

“Uh Noct? I don't think we got a description the first time with this thing”

“Good point now that I think about it, we simply ran into the thing originally, no wonder we didn't actually kill it like we thought we had”

“Still a few hours until nightfall though, what are we going to do to pass the time?”

“Hunt for an early dinner and then get ready for the second half of the mission”

A few hours later and it was officially night time and thus time for the second half of the Hunt to commence

“Alright now, you four handle the daemons if they get too close but for the most part join in when you can”

“Right, hey Iggy we good on what we need?”

“We're actually a little low on Elixirs, Potions and Phoenix Downs but we should be alright if everyone's careful”

“Got it”

The fight was intense and there were indeed daemons involved in the fight but eventually the fight and thus the Hunt was over with and except for general exhaustion everyone actually made it through the fight without needing any boosts from the Royal retinue

“Okay, that's done with, everyone back to the Crow's Nest, we need food once more, that took a long time, long enough that it's actually reaching sunrise”

Everyone looked and saw that the Hunter was correct

“Okay, eat and then sleep, we need it desperately”

“Agreed for once Noct”

When they get there though the Hunters are confused at seeing someone who appeared to be blind, but the four that had joined them instantly went into semi-alert mode when the person simply shakes their head and walks away

“Guess we'll see her later then”

“Guess so, wonder if...”

“We'll find out when we meet up with her later guys, I'm sure of it”

The group eats an early breakfast and then crashes in the caravan for twelve hours straight for Prompto and Gladio, Ignis was out for fourteen hours while Noctis was out for a full twenty-four hours

“So...how far behind did we put ourselves with this stunt?”

“Not too terribly far behind but we really need to hope that Gentiana meets with us soon since she might have word regarding Ravus”

Three hours after they leave they meet up with Gentiana again and this time Ravus was with her

“I know you wanted to arrange a meeting but this is the only chance I currently have, is what Gentiana told me true?”

“What did she say?”

“That the Astrals sent the four of you back from the future where Lunafreya and I were dead and Noctis sacrificed his life to bring back the sun?, she also said that you four remember that future”

“Yes it's true, we came back four years before the present to change things, and while I was asleep the Astrals told me that you would be a part of helping change the future of Lunafreya, and maybe even Iggy's future as well, though I think I also helped with that via giving him an order”

“Not only you Noct, King Regis backed your order with his own and added to it as well”

“I see...I will do what I can, and will break away from the Empire when possible, but we must all be careful, Chancellor Izunia is becoming dangerous, doing things on his own that make no sense”

“Oh, we know _all_ about Chancellor Izunia...because...well...Gentiana can he know the truth?”

“To not know the truth would harm the future at this point”

“So I can tell him?”

“Yes”

“Okay, good, Ravus, Chancellor Izunia is going by a false name, at least partially, his first name is indeed Ardyn, but he's not Ardyn Izunia, no his true name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum, brother of the Founder King, and the person who forced everything that happened, at least to a degree, he's also the reason behind the Starscourge, he's why I had to die originally, but while Ardyn still has to die, you, Luna and I don't, and Iggy doesn't have to lose his sight”

“How did you lose your sight Scientia?”

“I put on the Ring of Lucii to save Noct, you were there when Luna died, I fought you to protect Noct and then Ardyn showed up disguised as Gladio, but you didn't fall for his trick, after he temporarily knocked you out is when I put the Ring on, you called me reckless and then you went to your death after declaring Noct the one true king and trying to give Noct his father's sword, granted that was a disguised Ardyn who gave the final killing blow but still...you acknowledged Noct in the end”

“I see...I agree you shouldn't put on the Ring then, in any case I will do what I can to keep Lunafreya safe, shall I tell her you'll be meeting her in Altissia when the time is right?”

“Yes, and...tell her I might be giving her a note through you or Gentiana before then, I don't know if I will be allowed to tell her or not”

“Understood”

With that Ravus leaves and the group decide to go to Ravatogh because even though they didn't need to get the Royal Arms there they decided that they still needed to climb it to make sure about other things


	26. Chapter 26

“Still, what if we can't tell her everything?”

“We'll figure things out hopefully, and guys about Aranea...while we can't actually tell her anything at the moment whenever we meet and it gets to a fight we don't want to hurt her too badly agreed?”

“Totally”

They took care of a few things at Ravatogh and then they ultimately meet up with Aranea again and while they don't necessarily go easy on her they also make sure to pull their hits (something they were quite used to doing since their sparring partners weren't as strong as them, even Cor was weaker than Prompto due to their experiences) and then meet up with Ignis once again

“So...let me guess someone escaped... _again_ ”

“Indeed, he...he managed to escape...escape the Hunters...and myself...though I...tried to...stop him”

Suddenly Ignis collapsed and when they got to him they saw he had been stabbed in the side and the leg, fortunately Potions would help but they also knew he needed rest and possibly blood as such they decided to get into contact with Dave and asked him how long Ignis had been injured before making it back to base and getting Potions

“Hey Dave, how long was Ignis with you guys?...I see and was he offered a ride back to the base?...I see, how far away was the base at the time?...okay, did you guys offer treatment for his injuries?...oh I see, that's what happened huh?...don't blame you guys one bit, but we _do_ need to take Ignis to the hospital because of his stunt...we'll meet you there then...okay bye”

As soon as he hangs up he knows that Prompto and Gladio inferred from his end of the conversation that none of the Hunters knew that Ignis had been injured

“Let's get him to a hospital and then once he's better we're going to be needing to have a talk with him”

“Yeah, looks like he traded one issue for another”

“Well, it may not exactly be as serious as we think it is, but either way Dave says to take him to the nearby hospital, some of the Hunters are also there by the way so he said he'll simply meet us there and give us more details about what happened”

And so Ignis is rushed to the hospital where the group have a long talk with Dave about what had happened in regards to a key person being lost and the fact that no one knew that Ignis was injured and quite severely at that

“I think I might institute a policy of checking people who help us out after each fight, especially when it comes to you four, you may have things that help heal you but...”

“But we can still be seriously injured, we know”

“Still...I'm sorry we didn't think about it or notice”

“Well he could have said something himself, unless he didn't know also then when he's better we're having a very long...talk”

“You mean lecture, look no one can hear us right now so I'll just go and say it, you're going to give him a lecture and most likely a Royal order considering that you're now the King what with your father's death, you need him alive because he's your friend and for whatever bigger thing you guys have going on and you four know it. As such it might very well be that he didn't realize that he was injured, either that or he might not have thought it was that severe”

“Yeah, well either way the group might be making a few new road rules, oh by the way...I wasn't going to but...I need you to _carefully_ look into what one Chancellor Ardyn Izunia from Niflheim is doing, according to an inside source he's acting off and it might be bad for everyone depending on what's going on”

“You do realize how hard that's going to be right?”

“Oh I know, but if he acts off he might not be doing normal things and that might give us the chance we need to try and figure out what he's doing”

“Okay, I'll see what I can do but...”

“I know, oh and if you run into Cor the Immortal tell him...tell him his newest King is ready to take up that responsibility but can't let the world as a whole know it until later, but that I am giving him a direct order, prepare for coronation for when I give the word, further details will be given about all preparations needed after I deal with a few things”

“Will do, but...I want to stay until we know more about your friend, it was partially my responsibility since he was delivering a prisoner to us and he got injured while with us since he was only trying to keep the prisoner in custody”

The next day and Ignis was awake and allowed visitors and he could tell that Noctis wasn't happy with him, but he didn't know why

“Noct...why are you so upset with me?”

“You almost died Ignis, if you hadn't reached us when you did the Potions would have been useless, you needed blood transfusions just to get more stable than what the Potions allowed for and you didn't tell anyone you were hurt, that is if you even knew that in the first place”

“To be honest I don't remember anything after the first blocked blow with Caligo, I was in a battle rush though I do know I was with Hunters, I guess I don't remember being injured”

Suddenly a doctor speaks up

“That would be because of the poison we discovered in your system, it's designed to kill slowly, keep wounds bleeding and open and quite frankly works with the adrenaline rush of battle to rob you of any memories during the battle including being hit if you weren't hit on the first stab”

“Okay, you're not in as much trouble as before, but once you're released we still need to talk”

“I know and I think I know what the discussion is going to be about”

“Probably do, but in the meantime heal up, oh and Dave was by and said he's glad you're going to be alright, and don't worry about the others with you they'll be okay as well”

“Understood”

And so two days later the group has a very long and involved discussion about what would now be happening post battle every time, they also discussed the possibility of working with the Hunters a little more often until it came time to go to Altissia as a sort of means of protection but ultimately decide not to do that, if they worked with Hunters then it happened by chance or the very rare times that they called for backup, which they hoped they would never have to do


	27. Chapter 27

“You know I just realized something, you've never used Royal speaking, then again...”

“Exactly, it's way too dangerous right now”

“Besides that dad actually hated that form of speaking but did it because he had to”

“Didn't realize that, so...what now?”

“Not sure, guess we continue Hunts, though...actually there is a location that I think we should take care of now since we already know it's going to be needed at some point”

“Vesperpool?”

“Vesperpool, we need the mythril”

“Good point, there are probably other locations that need dealt with too now that I think about it”

“Indeed, in fact...”

Suddenly both Ignis and Noctis simply collapse unconscious worrying Gladio and Prompto not knowing that both of them were being given permission to bring in Aranea early because otherwise she would die as would Ravus, Lunafreya wasn't to know the truth yet but the Astrals promised that Noctis would know when the time was right to tell Luna about the time travel. Unfortunately there was a lot that they needed to be informed of regarding how to save their two allies and so were unconscious for two days, but finally they woke up to worried friends

“Okay, how long did they knock us out cold?”

“You two have been sleeping for two days now, and Iggy just got out of the hospital too”

“Sorry, not our choice believe me”

“Why couldn't they have waited until you were naturally asleep?”

“Uh...have you _seen_ our sleep patterns lately?”

“Oh...good point”

“Exactly, now then we can still take care of a couple of other things first but when we next meet Aranea she's being told everything and then we have to rescue Ravus because he's part of saving Luna somehow, oh and keep in contact with Dave so that we know what Ardyn's doing”

“Good point, maybe with Ravus we might actually be able to figure things out”

“Good point, for now though mythril”

“And Aranea”

“Oh...you know I actually forgot she was there, you weren't with us Gladio so you didn't know”

“Got it, though she might not be since I think the timeline is starting to drift”

“Good point, well we'll figure it out later”

Ultimately they would meet Aranea at the Vesperpool and once they got the mythril they talked to her in private about what was going on and how Ravus also knew that they were time travelers

“I see...I'll do what I can to rescue him and then get back to you four, though why the Astrals want you to change things I have no idea”

“They have their reasons, but I'm glad we get the chance to save some people and change things that happened originally”

“I'm sure you do, well in the meantime I need to get going”

“Right, and Aranea...be careful around Ardyn, he can't know what you're aware of”

“Understood, wait if Ravus knows does his sister know too?”

“Not yet, it's not yet time but she'll know eventually, but _don't_ say anything if you happen to run into her, Ravus knows not to do that also by the way”

“Understood, best get going”

“Right, be careful out there Aranea”

“Will do, and Specs...I think we might need to talk more later”

“Indeed, there's...there's much we have yet to actually tell you in regards to what happened originally”

With that the group parted ways with Aranea, two months went by with no word from their two Niflhiem allies and and so they took on a Hunt immediately after dealing with the reactor which wasn't easy but they also didn't need to ultimately call for backup either, though they considered it since the Hunt ultimately took them almost a solid week in total though part of that was finding what they were targeting in the first place

“Right, let's head back to Hammerhead, I think that's the easiest place to talk to Dave”

“No, he has to contact us not the other way around remember?”

“Oh...right I did sort of forget that little bit, and Iris is another contact point which I'm still not entirely happy about, but I see where you're coming from Noct”

“Hey, I'm going to ask Luna as well you know”

“True, but still having Iris is probably best, at least for now”

“Yeah, especially since we'll have things to do at Altissia before the ceremony”

“Good point”

“So...what now?”

“Now...now we go back to the Disc, there's something I want to do there, something...something that I don't think we should skip this time around”

“Noct?”

“You'll see”

And so they make a stop in Lestallum and then head to the Disc and the group was confused about what Noctis had bought in the city, because it wasn't just a bouquet of flowers that he'd bought, but also very unique items that only they understood the significance of in regards to the combination. They figured it had something to do with what had happened but what Noct's exact plan was, was beyond them but finally they were where the Royal Arm used to be and then Noctis started arranging the items in a certain order and _that's_ when the group realized what was going on, though his words also helped in that understanding

“I'm sorry we failed in saving you the second time around and I'm sorry we didn't do something the first time around after Ramuh”

Noctis would stay there for three hours before Ignis finally had to force his hand and make Noctis leave

“Noct, we should go, it's getting late and you haven't eaten anything recently, not since...”

“Not since the Hunt and what we learned afterwords, very well”

While eating the entire group thought about what they had learned only hours earlier shortly after meeting up with Dave in Hammerhead via the radio


	28. Chapter 28

_Seven hours earlier_

“Hey Dave, wasn't expecting to meet up with you”

“I know but...I got Hunters missing and need you four to go on a tag Hunt, add in the fact that I think I found something interesting out that you four in particular might be interested in and I decided to see if you guys were in Hammerhead”

“Okay, let's eat and then we'll get talking, been a hard week with one Hunt”

“Right”

And so the group begins to eat and Dave turns on the radio thinking he might be able to catch up on some things that were important to the Hunters not realizing that the group was about to hear shocking, and extremely devastating news

“As we have been reporting for the past two weeks the Empire recently released a statement saying that High Commander Ravus was executed for treason against the Empire a new statement has been released recently that Commodore Aranea, who had been imprisoned at the time of the execution escaped five days ago and is now considered a fugitive with authorization to kill her on site as a co-conspirator though that was only recently discovered, in other news...”

Dave quickly shut the radio off at seeing the entire group go pale in shock which told him that the news was _important_ in a way that he hadn't known the first time he'd heard it and once he figured they were a little calmer speaks up

“I'm sorry, if I had known either of those two were important to you I would have warned you first”

“Not...not your fault, you know we're secretive as all get out for a reason”

“Yeah, but still this is something I should have figured you needed to know before hearing the news”

“What's happened happened, we...we'll have to meet and discuss what you wanted us to know some other time”

“Understood”

The group decides to head to Lestallum to see if they could do anything there and while in the car is when Noctis made the decision to head to the Disc and do the little ceremony he'd just finished

_Present_

The group heads to a little known location that they'd been to a couple of times in both timelines to get a late lunch and then when they started to head to Cape Caem and saw an Imperial ship, that's when it really hit home for them what they'd heard only hours earlier

“For Ravus?”

“Indeed, hopefully Aranea will meet up with us later but for now...”

“Exactly”

And so the group is more emotional when fighting the enemy this time around since they were still only beginning the grieving process they also took more risks because of that factor too, but eventually they reached the house and went to sleep, unfortunately they had a really, really bad PTSD episode because of what they had learned about Ravus and they had dreams that were part memory part actual dream and woke up with weapons in their hands, and that was after Monica trying to wake the three of them up for the day and after seeing them in the throws of a nightmare

“Monica...are you okay?”

“Yes your Highness, I made sure to use the techniques his Majesty and Cor taught me until I saw that they weren't working, I then made sure to be as safe as possible when physically waking you four up”

“Okay, that's good, but if it ever seems that the safe methods aren't working don't try and force us awake, especially since we might not be that deeply asleep through our own fault, though I won't explain things further”

“Understood sir”

Five minutes later and Monica was back

“Cor's here with an unknown sir, and the unknown is close to his back, do you think...”  


“Get Iris and Talcott to a safe room if you have it, and you  _stay_ there Monica, you're the only person I trust the most as the last line of defense for those two, the four of us will take care of any problems before they get to you hopefully, but be ready for a fight”

And so the group gets ready and then Prompto speaks up

“So, look to see who it is and then go from there?”

“No, mainly because of Ardyn, we're going to use code phrases for safety, after all that's why we met up with Dave that one time”

“Good idea”

And so the group looks and sees Cor and Dave, but because they needed confirmation Prompto and Gladio were the two to step out with weapons already out which told the two approaching the house that they meant business and then Gladio is the one that speaks up first

“You'll go no further you two”

“Gladiolus...”

“No, I will _not_ fail in my duty to my King”

“Agreed, there is only one way we shall let you pass unharmed and one way only, fail to figure it out and we _will_ fight you”

Cor is the one to figure it out first because of the fact that he knows the background of the four better than Dave did and the fact that Ignis had to use this method himself only a few years ago also helped, he realized that they needed to know two different things at once with him seeing as how it did look slightly suspicious that Dave was completely behind him, they needed to know first of all that it was indeed the real Cor in front of them and that he wasn't being forced to lead the person with him to their location

“Gladiolus, Prompto, you can tell our King two different things regarding me, the first is that Dawn's light shines bright the second is that while I may be called the Immortal I can still die”

Hearing that allowed the two to relax fractionally but not completely, however it also allowed Dave to know what was going on ever so slightly and he spoke up next

“I should lead by following my own path, and hopefully someday I shall, but in the meantime I shall remain where I am needed and help wherever I can however I can, even if it means doing secret missions that my fellow Hunters can't understand if they happen to help me”

Once the two heard both of them give their half of the code phrase they completely relaxed, gave out a sigh of relief and then Prompto's the one who speaks up

“Divine 7 guys!”

With that the door opens to reveal Noctis who greets the two newcomers with hugs


	29. Chapter 29

“Iggy's letting the others know that everything's safe, come on in you two, and be mindful of young and unwanted ears if you came to speak to the four of us specifically”

“Right, I forgot those two would be here, I'm mainly here to speak to Monica anyways about something, Dave here was the one who wanted to speak to the four of you after giving you a few days to process something he's keeping secret”

“Come on in then”

The group enters just as Monica is seen, and then Dave is the one who speaks up

“I'm sorry about giving everyone a scare, that wasn't my intention at all”

“Indeed, we simply happened to meet up and since we needed to talk to people at the same location I decided to give him a ride here”

“So it was purely coincidental that you two met up and came at the same time”

“Indeed”

“I think...I think we might need to plan for such things in the future”

“Most likely, now then let's go to a more private area Dave”

“Agreed”

And so the group heads to a private area and Dave tells the group what he had originally intended to tell them before they had heard the news about Ravus

“Now then this isn't entirely confirmed but it looks like there might be a Niflheim base back in operation, one that you four already took down, plus they might also be making some sort of weapon, all ordered by the Chancellor by the way”

“You guys don't think...”

“It's possible, after all something changed this time around”

“Good point, though I'm positive he doesn't remember, by the way Dave did you have...”

“Someone else do the tag hunt I wanted you four to go on? I did since I knew you four needed this time to begin to process what you recently heard”

“Yeah, um do you know if there's any further news about Aranea?”

“I'm afraid not”

“Understood, if you do get word about her let Iris know, she's going to be the main contact point for a bit since we're going to be off the grid while we take care of this little problem”

“Will do, but first I would like to offer my Hunters to join you”

“Not this time Dave, we appreciate their help whenever they're available but this time unless we specifically call for you we don't want Hunters any where's near the area”

“Very well, and I remember what you told me what the phone call means your Highness”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, it basically means that we're in trouble and should be scared”

“Exactly”

And so a couple of days later the group infiltrates the base once more and run into trouble, but before it can be agreed upon that they needed Dave and his Hunters as backup a very welcome surprise joined in the fight

“Hello boys, sorry I'm late”

“Aranea, welcome aboard, let's finish this place and then we'll get to a safe place to talk”

“Agreed, now isn't the time for pleasantries”

And so the group of five finish the work and then make for Hammerhead since they didn't want to lead any potential survivors to Cape Caem

“Aranea...we don't want to bring up any bad memories but...can you give us further details about Ravus?, all we heard on the radio was the fact that he had been executed about five days before we heard the news and that you were a fugitive after escaping prison recently”

“That...I escaped the day after...after we lost Ravus, guess you four need details though”

“Yeah, but first you're going to be getting further details besides the whole time travel aspect”

“I had a feeling Specs and I needed to talk further”

“Indeed, plus more than just the fact that we needed to talk, all you know is that we're from a different future, what you _don't_ know is the details that we left out”

And so the group tells her everything that they hadn't the first time around, about the treaty being false the entire time but that they didn't find out about it until they were at Galdin Quay waiting for a boat to Altissia and having to hear about it via the newspaper, the various bases they took down, the trials for the Astrals, getting the Royal Arms, their initial meeting and the fact that they had met at the Vesperpools before without Gladio as part of the team, getting to Altissia and not only ultimately losing Lunafreya to Ardyn but Ignis losing his sight (when that happened Aranea wondered if that was part of what needed to be talked about between the two of them) the fighting that was resolved by Ignis at Cartanica, Prompto falling off the train due to Ardyn's machinations, Zegnautus and how they found out that Ardyn's true name wasn't Ardyn Izunia but Ardyn Lucis Caelum (when Aranea heard _that_ little tidbit she was surprised that Noctis was able to explain things so calmly). The three that lived through the ten years of darkness told their half of the story and that's when Aranea learned that alongside Dave she helped teach Ignis how to get back on his feet in regards to fighting and being useful despite the loss of his eyesight, they explained how eventually Noctis returned and had a final fight with Ardyn killing him and dying himself and then ultimately being allowed to change things like Ignis going blind and Lunafreya dying

“Though due to Ravus...well due to that I don't know if we're going to succeed or not, oh and by the way when we mentioned being careful around Ardyn we meant it and also hoped you wouldn't just flat out attack him the next time you saw him”

“I kept myself under control, but only because of Commander Ravus”

“Good, this is because quite frankly Ardyn is _literally_ immortal, I killed him eventually due to the prophecy but until that point he Just. Wouldn't. Die. I heard from these three that they tried at the Keep and failed”

“We did, had to keep Iggy from walking right into him but Prompto and I tried to kill him, actually Prompto succeeded temporarily but then he revived himself and simply walked past Iggy after picking up his hat”

“I see...guess it's my turn now huh?”

“Not until tomorrow, it's late and we've already had one emotional conversation, your conversation will be just as emotional and you're already close to a breaking point, when was the last time you and your team truly slept?”

“Been a while, add in the fact that the three of us deliberately separated after my escape and let's just say I haven't really had anyone to talk with lately”

“Right, we'll try and find Biggs and Wedge over the next few days, in the meantime though you're getting sleep even if we stay up just a little bit longer to take care of something real quick”

And so the group got basic disguise supplies for Aranea though they wouldn't force her into a disguise if she didn't want to they still had the option available for her, once that was done they also went to sleep. The next day they explained what they were planning with Aranea who agreed that she needed to be disguised out in public


	30. Chapter 30

“First though I need you guys to know...to know what happened regarding Ravus, how we were discovered in the first place”

“Wait...you were both caught at the same time? I thought...”

“Not...not exactly, I was caught a little later than Ravus was, but...but that's only because of the fact that quite frankly we separated right before he was caught”

And so Aranea goes into details about what happened a month and a half earlier, how they had discovered at the same time the fact that Ardyn was planning something huge and without Imperial permission regarding a deactivated base, the two of them splitting up per Ravus' orders and the fact that quite frankly Aranea needed to leave for a mission or risk punishment, but how she managed to delay just long enough to see Ravus arrested, the fear of being discovered and the two weeks spent hoping she wasn't. Returning from the mission to discover that while she wasn't officially being charged yet she was under arrest and being investigated. Reuniting with Ravus only to find out that he was going to be executed within days, being witness to his death and her own escape shortly their after and her decision to split the team up for safety before returning and her relief at that decision since she'd officially been charged as a co-conspirator right before her escape and she knew that a trial would only end in her death and the death of her two comrades if they had remained behind with her

“And so I simply kept on the run until I ran into you four destroying the reactivated base and it's weapon”

“Well, you're part of our group now, by the way we didn't get you any new clothes to go with your disguise, we were thinking of doing that at Lestallum”

“I see, let me guess you weren't sure what I would like for clothes”

“Exactly, but to get to Lestallum...”

“That's a problem alright...wait maybe not, tell me something, Ravus once mentioned you guys being allied with the Hunters”

“Of course, that could actually work...except for one thing it's a one way method of communication only for security reasons, I told the head Hunter that if we call him it means we're in way over our heads and he needs to bring backup”

“Then I guess we're staying put or you're figuring something else out”

“Yeah, and I think I know what it is, Iris is going shopping for you initially and then once we have basic clothes we'll take you to Lestallum where you can get clothes better suited to your style, unless you have a different idea”

“Not really...on second thought my first option is back in play because I see the head Hunter right now”

“What?”

The group looks and there was Dave alright

“Come on, let's go talk to him”

And so the group explains the situation to Dave who was actually relieved that Aranea was alive, primarily because of two new Hunters he had

“I can certainly get you Hunter clothing, but first there's a couple of Hunters I want you to meet with”

“Fine, but...”

“They're coming here”

Two hours later and the group is relieved to see the particular Hunters that Dave was talking about, and they deliberately gave Aranea, Biggs and Wedge privacy for their reunion

“So...what's the plan Lady A?”

“Simple we keep separated but do what we can to help take down the Empire, and...get justice for Ravus, look I know it won't be easy and the group already has a contact method but try and keep an eye on Lunafreya somehow, she might be in Altissia by now so check there first”

“Will do”

And so the group splits up but with assurances that contact would be regular and secure, and then the now team of five headed to Lestallum to get their newest member more clothing since Aranea was wearing Hunter clothing that Biggs and Wedge had bought but it was the only clothing she had for disguise and everyone knew it wouldn't work

“Say, it just occurred to me that you four aren't going to be disguised like I am, why is that?”

“Oh we thought about it, almost actually went for it, but then agreed that it was best that we not disguise ourselves primarily because of Ardyn”

“I see”

And so the group makes slow progress, primarily due to the fact that they had to deal with Imperial ships regularly since they were still on the hunt for Aranea and so either had to do fighting or were simply having to take alternate and thus longer routes to the city. What they group wasn't realizing (yet) was the fact that Ignis was slowly but surely increasing his Ebony intake despite the very strict rules he was under regarding that drink. Eventually though they reached Lestallum but since it was nighttime it was agreed that they would simply go straight to the hotel and do other things the next day. The next day would be when they discovered what Ignis had done and only because of Aranea

“Hey guys...why does it look like Specs is practically vibrating from energy today?”

“Wait...what did you say?”

“I said Specs is practically vibrating with energy, watch him and you'll see what I'm talking about”

The three observe and then groan but Noctis was the one who spoke up

“He's getting a lecture that will last him a lifetime, he knows the rules, and the fact that he's broken them means he's going to be punished for this”

"What I'm wondering is how we missed the signs”

“No clue Gladio, but we did and now we're going to have to deal with it”

“Right, and by the way you three are going to get rid of the Ebony while he and I have a little chat”

“Right, he's not going to be too happy with you about that”

“Don't care, he broke the rules”

And so while Gladio, Prompto and Aranea get rid of the Ebony Noctis takes Ignis aside and lectures Ignis for a good two hours about breaking the Ebony rules, and for also not saying that he needed to rest and have someone else take the wheels temporarily

“Noctis, next time it's going to be worse than just a lecture Ignis, trust me what happened today will seem _light_ in comparison”

“Understood”

“Good, now then it's time to get Aranea more clothes and then we're going to be going on Hunts to make up for what we spent and to get used to fighting alongside Aranea, or at the very least so that I can get used to fighting alongside her since I get the feeling you three partnered with her regularly”

“Not as regularly as you suspect, once I managed to hold my own in a fight we barely met up actually, and only once or twice were the three of us fighting alongside her in battle during those ten years”

“Got it, oh and by the way you're also on an Ebony ban for an undetermined amount of time I already had Prompto, Gladio and Aranea get rid of the stock we had already”

“But you said...”

“Two things Ignis, first of all this is a health related reason, second of all, quite frankly I was going to be doing that soon anyways”

“Why?”

“Besides the fact that we need the funds...it's a way to keep us from the Empire”

“How so?”

“According to Biggs and Wedge the Empire apparently knows that you like Ebony, if they try to track us with that knowledge...”

“The quantity amounts could lead them right to us, understood Noct”

“Now then, let's get Aranea the right clothes and then we're going on some Hunts to recuperate what we've spent here, and it will allow us to get used to our newest team member”

And so once the group finishes clothes shopping for Aranea they not only take on Hunts for the next few days but also take on Vyv's quests as well, and Dino's since they also went to Galdin Quay a couple of times to replenish their food supply via fish since it was the cheapest for them with Noct being the one getting the fish for them but finally they start getting ready to head to Altissia since it was getting close to that time, not only because their PTSD was coming in closer waves like it always did but also because they kept track via a calendar but then they got a surprise by the fact that Gentiana showed up


	31. Chapter 31

“Do not take the path to the water city yet”

“But Gentiana, the timeline...”

“Look to a dangerous friend for more information”

The group waits for word from Dave because that's the only person they could think of that would be called a dangerous friend and two days later their suspicions are confirmed with Dave making contact and saying that the Empire made a statement saying that the wedding was indefinitely delayed due to Lunafreya taking the death of her brother hard

“I see...that might be only part of the truth though”

“Hopefully the notebook comes”

“Agreed, by the way Aranea, you in contact with your guys?”

“Yeah, with this news though hopefully they tell me what's up themselves soon”

And so later that day they got word from Biggs and Wedge the full story, turned out that the Empire was only telling part of the truth regarding the delayed wedding, but the two were waiting for permission from Lunafreya to give the group the whole story and Luna had been waiting for word from Gentiana about it

“Okay, so I just got the full story, turns out that Lunafreya's mental condition is only part of it, the other reason why the wedding has been delayed is a combination of it being a trap for you possibly and the fact that quite frankly Lunafreya disappeared only three days after the announcement of her brother's death”

“I see...what about the person in charge of Altissia?”

“From what my boys tell me she's keeping Lunafreya away from the Empire as much as possible considering their situation, apparently...apparently this is at the request of Ravus, did he know...?”

“Yes, we told him everything, including...including how he died in the original timeline”

“I see, so what's the plan then?”

“The plan is to continue taking on Hunts and requests for the time being until I receive word that it's time to head to Altissia, and Ignis you're still under the rules”

“Don't worry Noct I won't put the Ring on again, I promise”

“Good, hey Aranea, I actually need you to contact Biggs and Wedge and tell them that if Luna appears to be getting extremely weak then to let me know so that I can have you drop something off”

“Will do”

That night Noctis was visited by the Astrals via his dreams and was basically told that they would do what they could to keep Luna from weakening any further until he could get to her, but to be ready with his plan b just in case it takes too long to bring things back on track in regards to meeting Luna in Altissia. The next day the group decides to to back to Ravatogh, though with Aranea this time, not just to visit the tomb for reasons unknown to anyone but Noctis but also to do some requests from Vyv regarding the volcano

“So, which one first, the tomb or the requests?”

“Hm...I'm thinking the requests since I plan on getting there at night, however you guys should also be in the decision, especially since we're still getting used to Aranea and her getting used to us”

The group talk in detail about what they were comfortable with and what they weren't and it was decided that the requests would be done after the tomb which meant getting to Ravatogh during the daytime and doing the climbing that was needed during the day and then camp at the nearby Haven that night

“Okay then, we're agreed, but first, we need to do a Hunt, now then normally I would simply say let's just stay here for the rest of the night but I'm afraid that's not doable this time around, and not because we're going after Hunter tags, there's another reason I want, no _need_ us to go on this Hunt”

“Agreed, oh by the way...I know this isn't something on the radar right now but it might be if any one of us starts having feelings for each other, and I get the feeling that might be Specs and I, you need to know that there's no risk of a pregnancy”

“Aranea?”

“I...you guys know that I was part of the Niflheim army, what you _don't_ know is that they drugged me repeatedly and made it so that I could never bare children ever again it's why I haven't bought particular supplies since we got together”

“I see, and you're certain there's no way to reverse it?”

“Positive, Biggs, Wedge and I have tried ever since we found out what they did”

“Understood, however if something develops I am requiring both parties to take the necessary precautions to prevent pregnancy even if it isn't likely, this is only because of the fact that quite frankly Aranea you never know what could happen in the future, plus if everyone's agreed I want to link you to the Armiger”

“Wait, what?”

“While you never became part of the group originally I feel that considering the change in circumstances I want you to be an official retainer”

“I'm...I'm honored but...”

“If you need time to think about it I won't force you into a decision”

“Yeah, I think that's for the best”

“Okay, now then let's get to where we need to go for this Hunt that we need to take on, once we get there I hope you understand just why this Hunt is so important”

And so the group heads to the Hunt location and when they arrive they hear the sound of fighting already going on, and while they don't recognize the voice due to the distance they _did_ recognize the exhaustion and desperation in the voice. Noct immediately went into warp striking and as soon as the rest of the group was close enough the three from Insomnia recognized the Glaive uniform if not the person wearing it

“Thanks!”

“No problem, you need anything?”

“Potion?”

“Coming right up, how are you weapons wise?”

“Down to this one, already lost three pairs and lost the twin to this dagger yesterday”

“Right, hey Iggy, the Glaive needs your spares!”

“Understood”

“Don't worry Scientia, I'll replace them if they get too badly damaged”

And so the fight goes in quick order with six people involved, even though one of them wasn't in the greatest of shape even before the fight had begun and had needed a potion just to keep fighting

“Come on, there's a Haven nearby that we can relax in, and I guess our trip to Ravatogh is going to be delayed a bit”

“No...no need to head to the Haven, I can make it to where you guys were originally planning on staying”

“But Glaive...”

“Your Majesty, I have been on my own for this long, staying up for days on end to get to a relatively safe location, even when injured, exhausted and practically starving. Your father making sure that Hunter locations are fully stocked and also making sure that Havens are stocked has been my only saving grace a few times, and the Hunters don't even realize who I am since I don't stay long enough for them to ask questions most of the time”

Noct realizes that it's pointless to argue and so the group heads back to their camp, but Noct realizes that the person wasn't going to simply relax for one reason and one reason only, he was now under Noct's authority and though Noct would completely understand them simply going into the trailer they rented the Glaive was waiting for orders in case anything needed to get done first before getting sleep. As such Noct signals to Gladio to stand behind the Glaive and then goes in front of the person who stands at attention to await orders which Noct gladly gives considering it was the only order he was going to give to the exhausted person at the moment

“Stand down Glaive”

With that the Glaive simply collapsed into Gladio's arms seeing as how Gladio had also seen how exhausted the Glaive was and thus was ready to catch them the moment Noct gave the order to the Glaive that he could let down his guard

“Ignis, I want you to take care of him tonight, make sure that he's not hiding any serious injuries that even he might not be aware of, once that's done the four original group members need to talk in private Aranea, so I want you to watch him carefully for any signs of him waking up so that we can be there when he _is_ actually awake so that we can explain things”

“Might think of me as an enemy huh?”

“Exactly”

“Understood”

The four original members of the group head to a secluded area and then Ignis is the one to speak up

“What is it Noct?”

“That Glaive we just saved?, his name is Nyx Ulric”

“Wait...what?”

“I...I don't get it Noct, didn't he die?”

“That's what I thought too, I thought that his death was one of the ones that were unchangeable ultimately since he was needed in the city the day it fell and yet the Astrals recently told me in a dream that I would know when to take a particular Hunt and that there was to be a special surprise waiting at the Hunt location, they didn't give me full details but they did say that someone in the service of our family had been rewarded and that we would meet the person”

“And tonight was the night huh?”

“Yeah”

“So...what's the plan now?”

“To be honest that's up to Ulric, he may decide to go to Altissia to protect Luna, he may decide to stay with the group or he may decide to see if he can't join up with Cor and the other Guard and Glaive members, I just don't know yet”

“He may even decide to go solo since he's been alone for so long”

“We'll find out later, but for now we're all taking watch so that Aranea isn't the only person waiting to see when the Glaive is going to wake up”

The next day the group simply waits for Ulric to wake up and it started with Aranea's shift, and he actually came too quickly afterwords, and came up punching between the fact that Aranea was the closest person and he only knew her as an enemy and the fact that he was so tired he forgot he was with allies and honestly thought there was other enemies, but Noct put a stop to that right quick


	32. Chapter 32

“Stand down Glaive!”

Ulric stops mid punch, blinks and sees allies for the most part instead of foes

“Your Highness, this woman...”

“Is no longer an enemy, full explanations will have to wait but she and her two men are no longer part of the Empire's army, in fact she's a target and MT's will do whatever it takes to kill her, and her men are on special assignment right now but they are considered Hunters”

And so the group eats breakfast where the explanation behind Aranea now being part of the group were given to Nyx and then all of them had a long, detailed conversation about what the new plan was regarding Nyx being in the group or not

“So I take it we all agree on the plan?”

“Yeah, it's probably for the best that we do things this ways, since it will allow me to continue following the last order given to me by King Regis and yet...”

“Exactly”

“By the way, once you get there get in contact with Biggs and Wedge, they're already guarding Lunafreya and if they don't know who's side you're working for...”

“Will do, hopefully though Lady Lunafreya will vouch for me before there's any trouble”

“Agreed, now then just remember I can contact you at any time for you to join us on a mission, if that happens Biggs or Wedge will make sure to get you to us, either that or you're going to have to figure out travel arrangements, don't worry we'll call in enough advance so that you can make any arrangements you need to and get to us”

“Right, still, I think I should have this Hunter Dave's contact information as well”

“No, not yet anyways, look...you're dead Ulric, no one but us knows that you're alive, Cor...Cor actually took your loss badly since he knew certain things that we aren't explaining to you”

“Wait...does this mean that Libertus...”

“Yes, all Glaives that remained loyal also believe you dead, you're a secret weapon that the Empire can't know about, especially since Chancellor Ardyn is...acting quite odd and the five of us have to deal with that frequently”

“I see...still since I am going to be fighting beside you guys on occasion I don't want to leave until after Ravatogh is dealt with”

“Good idea, now then...”

Suddenly Noct's phone rings and so he goes to answer it and when he comes back his face is serious

“Sorry Nyx, change of plans you're going straight to Altissia and keeping an eye on Luna, Cor just called saying that he needs to meet with the five of us urgently, and yes Aranea he knows your situation and trusts you to a degree, this is partially a test for you and something that Dave would have told us eventually if he had found out before Cor”

“And since we don't want anyone to know of my survival for now for your own reasons I can't meet up with him”

“Exactly”

“Fine, but I hope we work together soon, in the meantime I need to figure out a way to get to Altissia”

“Hm...I think we should ask our reporter connection Dino for help”

“Good point, he should be able to get you a boat ride, and yes we completely trust him, though our reasons are for something we can't explain to you Ulric”

“Will you someday?”

“Someday yes, we hope, but for now...”

“Understood”

And so the group manages to arrange a ride for Nyx through Dino and then the five of the main group meet up with Cor

“What's going on Cor?”

“Trouble, that Chancellor of Niflheim's getting worse by the day, not only through the bases that have been rebuilt in furious fashion along with dangerous weapons but also...it almost looks like he's beginning to do human experimentation with prisoners”

“Say... _what_?”

“Exactly your Highness, no one knows what's going on, not even me and...does she know?”

“Oh yeah I know the fact that they're time travelers, guess you're in on the secret too huh?”

“He had to know considering...well considering the situation we wound up in when we time traveled”

“I see, so...what's the plan?”

“For now it's simply a scouting mission, I know that you guys probably want to destroy this base however...”

“The captives need to be protected and if we don't know where we are we could unintentionally kill them”

“Exactly”

“So...this will complicate matters, but hopefully we find a way to make it work”

“I could pretend to surrender and we could get an in that ways”

All four of the time travelers had only one word for that and they said it in sync

“NO!”

“Just a thought, won't go through with it if you don't agree”

“Okay so we now need a plan b because quite frankly Aranea I have no clue where that plan came from but did you honestly think we would agree to such a thing?”

“Kind of yeah, primarily because of the fact that I was factoring in very few options and least important member of the team what with me being completely new”

“Yeah no, the second half of your reasoning is never an option, as for the fact that there aren't many options, while that may be true we're not giving up on thinking of plans that won't sacrifice any of the group in the process”

And so the group thinks heavily about it and continues to draw up blanks and so they ultimately decide to just wing it not knowing what that decision would bring in a relatively short amount of time. The group sneaks into the base and things start off well, but then the group is forced to leave Ignis and Aranea behind due to the two of them being captured

“Well, well, well, look who we have here”

“Loqi”

“Hm...orders are to execute you immediately, however with the fact that we have a Lucian who was in high command I think we'll settle for public execution in Niflheim instead, at least I think the Emperor will go for it, we're also transferring the prisoners we have here to Niflheim per the Chancellor's orders”

The two were thrown into the cell with the other prisoners and yet at the same time were kept separate from the others due to a divider

“Now what?”

“Not sure, guess we wait and make plans”

“Guess so”


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now then, this part is going to hold dubious consent only because of the fact that the two know that in order to protect the rest of the group they have to do what their captors want, they don't actually have any real feelings between them besides camaraderie at the moment since they are still getting used to each other. I don't even know if this will actually turn into a relationship later or not, don't even know if the ten years of darkness will happen so a lot is up in the air regarding these two and any future relationship they might have

Ignis and Aranea quickly lost track of time due to the room they were in, and then one day a new situation was put into play

“Alright then, transport has been severely delayed but the Emperor and Chancellor have given me permission to do whatever I want to our prisoners, and I brought some people who would like to have some...fun before everyone is taken away, however I am giving two of you a choice, either you entertain us the way we were going to entertain everyone, _or_ either one person dies for every moment of refusal or two people are being enjoyed at once, you have ten minutes to make your decision by the way”

Due to the fact that the person was looking directly at them when this was said Ignis and Aranea knew that he was talking about them having to make the choice, and as the Adviser Ignis was the first to think things through thoroughly and made his decision, and knew someone wasn't going to be happy with him very quickly especially since he only had only a moment to say one thing before going into action

“I'm sorry”

With that being said he simply started kissing Aranea with no further warning which was just in time to have the person in charge halt any other actions of his men. Once they came up for breath Aranea said only two things to Ignis

“Forgiven, and _I'm_ sorry”

With that Aranea started to do whatever she could to arouse Ignis and soon they weren't simply kissing each other but having full on sex. Both of them hated bringing the other into climaxes but they also both knew that there was no real choice if they were to protect the rest of their prisoners. They kept this up even in the enemy ship that was getting set to transport them to Niflheim, neither was completely okay with what they were doing especially because of the fact that they didn't have many chances for a warning before things got started and they had both hurt each other a couple of times too but the safety of the other prisoners was their highest priority

“Specs...we can't...we can't keep this up much longer”

“I know Aranea, I know, but we also don't have much choice in the matter”

“I know but...this could kill us if we continue at the rate we're going”

“Do you have any plans?”

“Unfortunately not”

“Guess you remember the last time”

“Indeed”

_Unknown amount of time earlier_

The two were simply sleeping when they heard the usual warning sign of the door and so the two got undressed and waited for the group to enter knowing that to start beforehand was dangerous for their fellow captives. Once the two knew that the observers were fully there they started slowly with touching, kissing, licking and nips at ears and other parts

“Specs, mmm, need you bad right now”

“Same, you've aroused me more than normal Aranea”

And so though they didn't plan on it happening earlier Ignis slowly entered Aranea's vagina and then slowly began thrusting in and out and arousing Aranea at the same time he was being aroused, after they reached their climaxes both turned and tried to fight their captors via hidden weapons they had made but they didn't get far and everyone was punished with no food or water for half a day and Ignis and Aranea suffered further because they were forced to act out a fantasy of one of the observers that was into BDSM and while they tried to be gentle with each other they still got injured. Eventually though they collapsed in exhaustion and were left alone until they recovered and then were forced back into arousing each other and having unwilling sex but they also mutually agreed to not try any other escape attempts

_Present_

“So, guess they've decided to give us a slight break”

“Indeed, how kind of them”

They turned out not to be so lucky and not even ten minutes later they were forced back into their roles as protectors of the group

“You know...I wonder if we can make them think you're pregnant at some point, might relax what we have to do”

“Not a chance they know the drugs I've been given”

“Never mind then, still was a thought”

“I know, good thought, but impossible”

They continue having sex until they pass out once again and when they wake up they don't even bother getting dressed

“Wonder how long this rest period will last”

“Who knows, hopefully it's after food”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of dubious consent


	34. Chapter 34

The two were saved from another round of forced sex by the sound of battle and so the two waited with baited breath and then saw rescue in the form of Cor, Monica, Noctis, Gladiolus, Prompto, and about fifteen Hunters with Dave leading the charge, and Noctis was the one to speak up

“Hey you two, give us a few moments and we'll get you out of there, and once that's done _you_ are gaining access to the Armiger Aranea, that ways I can tell if you're actually alive or not, the only reason I knew Iggy was relatively okay was because I could feel him through our connection, though why he hasn't reached for this weapons is...never mind I get it now, that's going to be taken care of once this is over but for now I have spare weapons for you two”

“Good, where's my spear?”

“Later Highwind”

“Understood Leonis”

And so eventually the battle ended and the two recently freed members of the group were whisked to Lestallum to get checked out and both were cleared medically, though they were also warned that there might be issues later down the road that they were currently not showing at the time but finally the group was able to get a private moment and Noctis performed the ceremony needed for Aranea to gain access to the Armiger and then speaks up

“No more base infiltration missions for us without Hunter backup, you two were gone for _two months_ , and the only reason we found you was because of Dave, Biggs and Wedge rotated on searching for you two primarily because of Aranea but also because of the fact that they know the Empire better than we do”

“I see”

“So what now Noct?”

“Altissia, Gentiana says that it's time”

“Understood”

The trip was quickly planned but needed preparation and the group left for Altissia a month and a half after they started making definitive plans for the trip. The trip itself takes three days but finally they arrive in Altissia and quickly start making plans not only for the Covenant that Noctis had to do but also the reunion between Noctis and Luna where Noctis would be able to hopefully save Luna's life but in the middle of making those plans Aranea suddenly cried out in pain and grabbed her midsection

“Aranea?”

“Hospital...now”

The group starts to head to the hospital but they quickly realize that something is seriously wrong while in the gondola because Aranea starts _bleeding_. By the time they arrive at what counted as a hospital she was barely conscious and rushed into theater. Three hours later a doctor finally came out

“Is one of you Ignis Scientia?”

“That's me”

“We need to talk...in private”

“Whatever you have to say to me you can say to them”

“I'm afraid not, my patient insists that the three of us talk in private first”

“Go on Specs, we'll be waiting for you when the talk is over”

Ignis is lead to Aranea's room and while she looked better in some ways she looked worse in others

“Aranea?”

“I'm sorry Specs...I'm _so sorry_ , I didn't know, it was so early...we...we...doctor?”

“Your girlfriend suffered a miscarriage Mr. Scientia, fortunately if you choose you can try for another child in the future but not for at least a year as my recommendation, from what we could tell she was about one and a half months pregnant”

“One...and a half...months...pregnant?”

“Yeah Specs, looks like...well looks like it happened during _that_ time”

“But you said...”

“I know, it's what I truly believed too, according to the doctor though apparently the drugs that were supposed to...sterilize me for lack of a better word weren't as foolproof as believed, combine that with the healing magic I've been subjected to recently and...”

“And you were able to conceive...but the usual signs...”

“Apparently while the drugs weren't completely effective the doc thinks that they masked the pregnancy, but we'll never be completely sure unless this happens again”

“I see...what about...”

“Not yet, tomorrow Specs, we'll tell them tomorrow”

“Very well”

The next day in Aranea's hospital room the rest of the team discovered the fact that Aranea had unknowingly been pregnant and had lost the baby the previous day

“The doctor isn't sure what caused it but...I think I know why we lost the baby”

“The fight...it raises the risks significantly”

“Yeah, that's my suspicion, if I had known...I would have taken the proper precautions and not even fought recently”

“But we should have considered the risks considering...”

“Yeah, we should have, except for that little matter of thinking I couldn't ever get pregnant”

“In any case you need to rest for the next few days, according to our secret weapon Luna is anxious to meet me, she also is weakening slowly every day”

“I see, you going to meet her before the covenant?”

“Yeah, need to give her something that will take care of the problem”

A week later and the ceremony was taking place, Nyx was close to Luna while Noctis was in the crowd, at Noct's signal Nyx left Luna's side to help with the evacuation process while Noctis began the ceremony. Once more Luna was stabbed by Ardyn, but then before Noctis lost conscious he saw what looked like an MT attack Ardyn and give Luna a fighting chance through a Potion. Three days later Noctis woke up


	35. Chapter 35

“You're awake, Lunafreya's been asking for you since she woke up herself two days ago, I'll go get her, though it's going to take a little bit of time”

Noctis at hearing that from Ignis fears the worst, that Ignis was blind once more but then saw what Ignis meant when he saw Ignis grab crutches

“You're hurt”

“I should heal up in a few weeks”

“What happened?”

“Ardyn, broke my leg during the fight”

“I see...Specs, did you happen to have help from an MT?”

“Not exactly, it wasn't an MT that gave Lady Lunafreya the Potion but an armored Imperial soldier who didn't say much to me but even if they had their voices were disguised to the point that I wouldn't have recognized them if I had known them”

“Understood, so I guess we're staying here while your leg heals?”

“And then onto Cartanica”

“What about the bases?”

“Not sure Noct, we'll have to make that decision after Cartanica, primarily because of Ulric”

“Staying with us since we're all together huh?”

“Indeed, guess the original plan didn't work out so well”

“Hm...we'll see once we're healed up and at Cartanica”

Noctis is soon reunited with Luna and the two talk about what would happen in the future and then six weeks later head to Cartanica since Ignis' leg had healed up. Noctis was also actually wearing the Ring of Lucii unlike the original timeline, and Nyx and Luna had heard the full story by the time the journey to Cartanica began

“So...Scientia actually was blind the first time you made this journey?”

“Yeah, but he definitely lectured us good after we got the Royal Arm, and developed a new way of fighting when up against the Malboro”

“Hm, still I bet being able to see will make things much easier”

“Indeed”

“What's the plan afterwords?”

“That's something we'll discuss after the Royal Tomb”

“Why are we going there if you already have the weapon?”

“You'll see, it's a two fold mission, not only so that we can get used to you Ulric but there's another reason too and no it's not the Malboro”

“So...is my survival not going to be a secret for much longer?”

“Not sure really, that's something else that needs discussed at Cartanica”

And so the group heads to Cartanica and learns exactly what Noctis was after, it wasn't just a means of getting used to Ulric but also the fact that while he did have the Royal Arm he thought that there might be a lead for the Hunters regarding recent activity in the lower areas but it was a false lead, but it was still nice to deal with the Malboro and the eggs and with Ignis having his sight the battle went _much_ faster

“You know that went much easier than last time”

“I wasn't blind this time around Prompto, and we have three more people with us then last time”

“Yeah speaking of that, what's the deal with Biggs and Wedge?”

“They went ahead to Tenebrae for something, not sure what though, Lunafreya?”

“There's something that I need and I asked them to retrieve it since they know it's location having been guards for me recently, and yes Ulric you may have guarded me as well but you've never been to Tenebrae while they have”

“Understood, so what's the plan?”

“That's what we need to discuss, Ardyn's acting off and yet we still need to go to Gralea, and Luna apparently I still need to enter the crystal”

“But...”

“I think that there's something that will help us change my sacrifice needed, but Prompto I promise I won't attack you when I see Ardyn”

“Thanks for that, but maybe...maybe with the fact that Altissia was delayed we can delay Gralea a little bit”

“No, afraid not, I have a plan but you will have to agree with it, once we regroup with Biggs and Wedge I want Luna and Aranea to meet up with Cor and take care of bases alongside the Hunters, meanwhile Biggs and Wedge will take us as far as they can via the train to Gralea and once they can take us no further I want Ulric to help them escape”

“Nope my men, my responsibility”

“Besides I want to go too”

The group continues to talk and after two days finally all agree that they would all head to Gralea to a point, once the train was stopped Aranea and her two men would head back to Meldacio while the rest continued on and helped Noct reach the crystal and once that happened the rest would escape and reunite with Cor

“Then let's go, but first I think we should personally meet up with Cor and reveal you to him Ulric”

“But...he's some where's in Lucis”

“Nope, found out he's actually in Tenebrae, apparently he got some sort of anonymous tip that he was needed there, and he was, found out recently that he was there”

“You didn't say this earlier Noct”

“Sorry Gladio, quite frankly wasn't sure if Cor should be a surprise or not, decided not ultimately”

“Then why make it sound as if Cor was back in Lucis?”

“Simple, when I say I found out recently I mean I just found out earlier today about this”

“Oh, okay so when you were making your original plans you truly thought he was in Lucis”

“Exactly”

And so the group heads to Tenebrae and they do indeed meet up with Cor there, and Cor was definitely shocked to see Nyx Ulric alive, when asked about how he survived Nyx was evasive as always and so Cor didn't press. But eventually the group separates and while a couple of people head back to Lucis the rest head to Gralea when they are split up again. But once inside Zegnautus keep they get a very, very special surprise, they were fighting one of the daemons when suddenly one of the Imperial soldiers turned on the rest and started fighting alongside the group but finally that particular fight was done


	36. Chapter 36

“Thanks, but who are you?”

“Not surprised you don't recognize me, but still I can't believe that incompetent Emperor didn't suspect anything strange with me, by the way nice to see you again sister”

With that the disguise comes off and one Ravus Nox Fluret is seen as alive and in decent shape

“Ravus!”

“But...but how? I saw your execution”

“I know, but the day of the execution was the day you first tried to escape right? I took advantage of that and managed to arrange things with my clothes so that I didn't actually die, and then decided to remain hidden and believed dead for everyone's sake including yours, I'm actually part of how you ultimately escaped though you wouldn't have known”

“I see...well what now?”

“Now we get Noctis to the Crystal and deal with that Chancellor, the Emperor is dead”

“Yeah that's the plan”

And so the group heads to the Crystal and once again Noctis is absorbed inside of it. The rest of the group heads back to Lucis and starts to get ready for ten years of darkness and also takes care of bases having finally discovered what Ardyn had been after this whole time, he had been trying to make a weapon to not only destroy whole cities but also drain any crystals used by Lestallum for energy. Time passes and it eventually it was one year to the day since the miscarriage and Ignis and Aranea were simply remembering their loss when suddenly Ignis slipped out of Aranea's grasp and went to one knee

“Aranea, this past year has been a rough one for the two of us, and I'd understand if you were too scared but, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife and trying for another child someday?”

Aranea looks at Ignis in shock and then says just one word

“Yes”

Ignis puts the ring on Aranea's finger and both agree to just a month long engagement which shocks those that don't know them. They don't really have a honeymoon due to the circumstances but they do get a couple of days alone together two months after they're married. Nine months after that Ignis is simply cooking when he hears Aranea's shouting

“Ignis!”

Ignis runs in and the sight scares him and takes him back to two years earlier (to the day though he's unaware of that fact). Ignis rushes Aranea to the hospital and once in the emergency room Aranea grabs Ignis' hand and speaks up

“Ignis I'm scared, what if...what if it's happening again and we're losing our baby the baby we didn't even know about?”

“The doctor will let us know shortly”

Ten minutes later the doctor arrives and checks Aranea and then says something unexpected

“OK Aranea looks like you're fully dilated, when I give you the word I want you to push as hard as you can until I tell you to stop, now...push, push, push, push, push!”

And so for fifteen minutes Aranea pushes and then all of a sudden they hear a baby's cry

“Looks like a healthy baby girl”

“Not done”

“Just the placenta dear”

Five minutes later and the doctor was proven wrong with Aranea giving birth to a boy and _then_ delivering the placentas and an hour after that the two were told that their twins were nearly full term and were allowed to hold them

“So do you have names for these two?”

“Not yet, we didn't even know she was pregnant, um by the way what's the date?”

When they hear the date they are visibly shocked

“Specs that's...that date means...”

“It's been two years to the day since the miscarriage”

That's when the doctor speaks up

“If that's the case then today might be mixed emotions in the future because you lost one baby but gained two in return”

Aranea is the one who speaks up

“That may very well be the case, but we'll try to remember the joy of having these two instead of thinking what we lost in regards to their older sibling”

“Well in any case mom and babies are going to be here for a few days”

“Understood, Aranea I'll go make certain phone calls that are needed, what do you want me to tell them in regards to...”

“You can tell them about the two little surprises we had today but that I don't want any visitors until tomorrow”

“Understood, is it because...”

“Yeah if _he_ can't be the first person to see them then the rest are going to have to wait until _they_ can as _his_ substitute”

“I'll tell them and...thanks for understanding that I wish _he_ was here and would want _him_ to have first visitation rights”

The next day the small group of warriors met the newest and youngest members of their little group and while everyone was happy for the two of them Cor eventually had to bring up a very valid issue

“I know this is a little soon considering that they were just born yesterday but what are your plans now regarding...”

“I'm staying home until they're at _least_ four years old, maybe five while Specs plans on initially just short term and distance missions while eventually getting back to normal missions”

“Does that staying home include...”

“Yeah, I'll be last line of defense, maybe when they're about two years old”

“And once your twins are older?”

“So long as I don't have any more kids between now and that time once they reach that age I will take and remain on short term and distance missions until...”

“Until _that_ day comes”

“Exactly, and then...

“Yeah and then, so long as you don't have any young children"

_Nine years later_

“So Iggy, I don't see Aranea and yet Cor said he got a recent report from her, he also said that you two were married so where is she?”

“Follow me”

And so Ignis takes Noctis to where Ignis, Aranea and their children were staying and leads him to a closed room and so Ignis knocks softly and waits until he hears Aranea tell him he can come in and once he does he goes over to her and asks a quiet question

“How is she?”

“Just put her down to sleep, went straight down after eating”

“I see, I brought someone here who wants to see you and might also want to see her”

Aranea looks to the door and sees Noctis

“Your majesty welcome back, I'm afraid I can't join you on your trip to take back Insomnia but I would like to introduce you to our youngest child Hope Scientia”

“Youngest?”

“Her two older siblings Sarah and Justin Scientia are currently at what passes for school and by the way they're twins”

“I see, how old is this little one?”

“Not even a month old”

“Understood, your duty is here Aranea, and I understand that completely, in fact if not for the fact that you'd argue and ultimately disobey me I'd order you to stay behind as well Iggy”

“You know me too well”

“Well now let's set off to finish this once and for all”

“Not yet Noct, we should catch up first”

“Very well”

And so the group catches up before they left and that's when Noctis learns that all three of Ignis' children had been a surprise, with the doctors confirming an old suspicion that the drugs given to Aranea had been reversed in regards to the fact that Aranea could get pregnant but her pregnancy never had any symptoms until the day she went into labor

“Well now, let's set off to finish this once and for all”

The next week was hard on Aranea but eventually she received word that her husband was back and she rushed out hoping that _everyone_ had survived the fight for the returned dawn which many still couldn't believe it was real. She went to the gates and saw _most_ of the group return and as soon as she finished greeting Ignis she asked her question

“Where's Noctis and Cor?”

“Safe, alive and simply helping the surviving Glaive begin the process to see if rebuilding Insomnia is even viable, Noct simply sent us ahead to spread the news about the possibility of rebuilding the city”

“I see, that's...that's good to hear”

It wasn't easy and it took three generations to complete due to various issues bu eventually Insomnia was rebuilt, it was different from before but for the most part it was a good different and while there was still a King or Queen of Lucis the way things were done was different from before it's fall. This was due to Noctis and Luna who instilled changes while their children were still young. Gladio and Prompto had married also during the years of darkness but since they were in the later years they didn't have children until after Dawn's return and while the tradition of the Amicitia was passed down in regards to being a Shield of the ruling monarch there were changes in that regards too, it wasn't just passed down to the eldest Amicitia and training was no longer mandatory, this was due to the fact that after Dawn's return Iris met and married someone and thus started her own branch of Amicitia Shields though they were held in reserve in case the main branch wanted to be Shield. Prompto's children would also follow in his footsteps in regards to being part of the Crownsguard. As for Ignis and Aranea, their children followed their father's footsteps for the most part though also their mother's footsteps on occasion since after the Dawn returned Aranea went into politics. As for Ignis and Aranea themselves they would ultimately have five kids, two more would be born after the Dawn and just like their older siblings there was no warning that she was going to have children. Instead what happened was that a year after the Dawn returned Aranea was helping with the rebuilding process when suddenly she felt very, very wet and then doubled over in pain, Iris was with her at the time fortunately

“Aranea are you okay?”

“My pants, need to get them off”

“What for?”

“Think I'm in labor”

Once her pants were off Aranea asked Iris to check and see if she saw anything and Iris replied quickly

“Yeah, I think I see a head, did you know you were going to be due soon?”

“Nope, surprise kid number four, need you to catch them because I need to push”

Fifteen minutes later and Aranea is done delivering another set of twins, but she's rushed to the hospital due to severe bleeding and the doctor's have no choice but to do an emergency hysterectomy which meant that there would be no more children for Ignis or Aranea unless they adopted or chose a surrogate

“I'm just happy that you and the babies are okay”

“They're okay?”

“Yes, little early according to the doctors but okay”

“You know that means all five of our children were slightly early”

“True, now then time to tell the others?”

“If Iris hasn't already”

“Good point”

Iris had actually kept what happened a secret from everyone including Gladio knowing that the two parents would want to spread the word themselves. As for the last twin Scientia's they were ultimately close in age with the first of the new Lucis Caelums (Noctis and Luna had twins the first time around and only one child the next two times around) and so became Adviser to the twins one Adviser for each and while the youngest of the Lucis Caelum's wasn't meant for the thrown originally the eldest sibling and their spouse insisted on there being three rulers, two visible rulers and a shadow ruler who would be forced to become Regent when the two known rulers died when their own child was still too young for the throne at only six years old and that tradition of a shadow ruler being ready to step in at a moments notice would stand for a long, long time though generally speaking the shadow ruler shared an Adviser with the main rulers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I glossed over their PTSD towards the end but I wasn't sure how to incorporate it as I went further and also because of the fact that they were in the ten year period of darkness. To wrap things up they did ultimately continue to have PTSD even after the Dawn's return but as they got further away from the changes their episodes were less frequent and less intense even though they continued to have episodes up to their deaths they were much better than before. As for how long before their deaths that they had a PTSD episode, Ignis had one only two days before he passed away in his sleep, Gladio's last episode before his death was two years, Prompto last had one five years before his death and Noctis last had an episode the day he abdicated the throne to his eldest child ten hours before his death (he and Luna both died on the way to Hammerhead to visit Cindy's granddaughter) as for how Gladio and Prompto managed to have longer periods between an episode and death was because of medical conditions that didn't take away their memory but the doctor's were forced to give them medications that actively affected PTSD in ways that the doctors never figured out


End file.
